A month ago, I got an email from Hog Island Oysters offering subscriptions. My wedding anniversary is in December, and so I signed up for 3 months and so very happy I indulged in this extravagance.
I didn't think I ordered gloves and an oyster knife, well maybe gloves, but not another oyster knife which I already have. I suspect the shucking tools come with your first order and Hog Island is assuming that home cooks won't have these implements. I knew a week before delivery that the oysters were coming, and so I tried to consume leftovers to make room in the fridge for 3 days of eating oysters, and I wasn't sure how many oysters in total would arrive. The box was pretty freaking big. However, I assumed that there would be a lot of packaging and ice packs. There were a total of 36 oysters. And it had been years since I shucked oysters.
Right away I made a mignonette of chopped shallots, rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, champagne vinegar, and black pepper and then got to shucking.
I didn't have any time to cook side dishes or even make a salad. I also hadn't made any extra ice to put in the serving dish.
I did however remember to buy a sourdough baguette for our oyster feast, and we've always Irish butter in our pantry.
And remembered at last minute to cut up a lemon and take out the horseradish and seafood forks for serving. And more wine. Mustn't forget wine.
I was too impatient to look for the hot sauce in my cupboard. And it was DELECTABLE, DELICIOUS, DIVINE. Jut bread and butter and oysters.
I feared that the hubs would think the oysters were too big--his favorite oysters are Kumumato and Hama Hama oysters which are tiny. These oysters were on the medium size. And it was only afterward that I discovered we had dined on Hog Island Sweetwater oysters. Even the husband declared our dinner yummy. Raw on the half shell are the way to go when oysters are this local and this fresh.
Day 2. Hubs won't eat the same thing the very next night. Luckily, I had some rotisserie chicken, Alfredo sauce, button mushrooms and bought some frozen broccoli.
I wanted oysters on the half shell AGAIN.
Same set-up. Same delicious repeat. On this second tasting, I tasted more salinity. And took notes in the oyster passport that Hog Island on all the nuances. I noticed more creaminess and sweetness on my first tasting, perhaps because I was so stunned at such fresh oysters.
Day 3. Seven oysters left. I had glanced at the Hog Island Oyster cookbook and remembered a recipe for grilled oysters with butter, garlic, bread crumbs (I had Panko), parsley, and Worcestershire. I had taken out a filet of sockeye salmon from the freezer to thaw the day before for our planned Saturday Seafood Supper.
I first cooked Tuscan salmon two years ago and it's my go-to if I wanna impress. So here's the inspo for this meal. Some years ago, hubs and I had one of the worst meals at a local fish house. I aimed to eradicate that bad memory of grilled fish that was meh, served alongside an equally bland pilaf with this supper. My mise en place for this hoped-for spectacular dish: chopped garlic, chopped scallions, chopped basil, chopped baby spinach, chopped Roma tomato (but cherry tomatoes are awesome too), butter, heavy whipping cream and white wine.
Before cooking the sauce, pan fry the salmon filet in olive oil: six minutes skin side down and after it's lightly crisp, turn over and cook the other side for two to three minutes. I do not like overcooked fish, and so I then removeed the fish from the pan and reserved to add to the sauce later.
In the same pan, add a knob of butter. Sauté the aromatics until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and continuing sautéing a few more minutes and de-glaze with Chardonnay if you want. I wanted.
Then add the heavy whipping cream and simmer for three to four minutes to meld the flavors. Once it's thickened down a little, add the salmon and chopped parsley and basil.
Fish done. I then popped my oysters under the broiler and grilled them for about 4 minutes or until the crumbs were golden brown and the juices were bubbling.
Success! The hubs pronounced it one of the more delicious meals I'd ever cooked. He liked everything about it including oysters one more time. And I loved that I could still taste the creamy deliciousness of the oyster liquor even when grilled.
Bad restaurant seafood memory be gone!
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