Funny thing about oysters is that some people just can’t grasp the concept of eating them raw. I admit it is an acquired taste.
We are discussing oysters because my wife and I returned Thursday from four days down the Cape with my sister and her family: her three grown children, two added wives and one added boyfriend, and six grandchildren, all girls, ranging from a pre-schooler to a sophomore. Yes, we are exhausted.
As part of general merry-making, my niece and I decided to treat everybody to five dozen oysters and two dozen littlenecks. Now, we sort of assumed not everybody would like the raw versions. One of my nephew’s daughters, the high school sophomore, gets the hero award for trying a raw oyster for the first time. She was polite about it but not convinced.
So after us raw fans had our blissful way, my niece and I decided to briefly grill some oysters and littlenecks, then shuck them and brush them with either of two mixtures. One mixture was butter, lemon juice, garlic and parsley. The other was bacon, spinach, garlic, white wine, butter, grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Then a quick reheat on the grill.
Once we served these, all those no-raw people jumped in the taste pool and drooled over these appetizers. Even the skeptical sophomore had two of the grilled oysters and raved about them.
But I still don’t think this will get everybody to reconsider the raw variety.
I think eating oysters is sort of like marijuana. Just because you try it doesn’t mean you’re going for the hard stuff the next day.
No cause and effect here. Just good taste and more good taste.
— LOU
My father always loved oysters. They were almost a drug to him (see above). His father said to him one day when he was very young, “Son, I will give you a nickel for each oyster you try,” assuming he would not like them. My grandfather was out a lot of nickels that day. It was the beginning of a life-long love of oysters. (You might say he was an oyster addict. See above.)
I have always liked oysters as long as I can remember. Just about any way, raw, grilled, baked, steamed, fried. I do not like them in stuffing for turkey. But that’s another story.
— LUCY
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