Learning to give a shuck

A planned two week retreat to the Big Island transmogrified into a staycation. Stupid virus. While I was truly sad not to be able to revisit the Kona coast this year, I seized the opportunity to explore local beaches and spend time on Puget Sound. I even threw myself in the water a few times. Brrr! 

One outing was a kayak tour of Dabob Bay, near Brinnon, WA on Hood Canal. The trek included a primer in shucking oysters. I ate one, but didn't have to shuck any. But...I did buy myself an oyster knife that day.

Today, I bought some oysters to practice on. Because I could just pick up a selection of local Johnson & Gunstone oysters from Central Market on the way home from foraging for Chanterelles. Living here does not suck. Dark season is coming, however, and that is not for the faint of heart. 

Anyhow, back to the oysters.

Straight up raw oysters are a bit much for me, so I topped them with a mignonette: yuzu juice, rice wine vinegar, minced shallot, a (not hot) minced padron pepper from the garden, and black pepper. I wanted to keep it simple so the differences between the oysters were still notable. 

The shucking went surprisingly well. Biggest challenge was minimizing shell bits. 

Sweet Creek 

First up was the Sweet Creek. It was...oystery and a bit unremarkable. Good size, though as far as I'm concerned when it comes to raw oysters, the smaller the better. 


Have I mentioned that I'm not a huge oyster fan? When they're good, they're definitely good eats. But my experience over the years has been a bit hit and miss. One of the reasons I wanted to do this tasting was to try to figure out what I like so I can avoid misses in the future.

Quinty Point

The Quinty Point was my favorite of the bunch. It was notably sweeter and had a fresh briny quality that didn't overwhelm. If oysters were always like this, I could truly love them. The pictures make it look bigger than it was. I think this was also the smallest of the bunch. Coincidence that it was my favorite?

Dabob Bay

After kayaking in the area, I was looking forward to trying this one. It had a stronger, brinier flavor, and kind of a metallic finish. It was also at my size limit for raw oysters. It was edible, but not especially enjoyable. 

Quilcene Selects

This was more like it size-wise. Had a stronger briny character than the Quinty Point, and a hint of the metallic finish of the Dabob. That might have been because my palate was primed to anticipate the finish, though. I definitely preferred the QP, but this came in a solid second. 

Good thing, because I had two of this one. Enjoyed the first with the mignonette and topped the second with a bit of hot sauce. Crystal Sauce makes everything better!

What wine goes with oysters?

The oysters themselves are great with a crisp, minerally white wine. Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) is a classic choice. The mignonette is actually kind of tough to pair with—vinegar and wine compete with each other. 

I opted for the wine that goes with everything: Champagne. The bubbles kind of revive the palate, and the yeasty-toasty notes complement the brininess of the oysters nicely. Today's pick was an NV Brut Grande Cuvée from Champagne Moutard. 






Location: Kingston, WA, USA

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