Since arriving in the lowcountry I seem to have slipped into some strange space-time continuum. On the one hand, I can’t believe a whole month has passed. On the other hand, I can’t believe it’s only been a month! These few weeks have flown by faster than I could count them, yet have been filled with a year’s worth of activities and memories.
Every day here is a day of firsts. We celebrated our first holidays here. We’ve had our first houseguest. We’ve had our second houseguests, who brought along our first kid visitor. We’ve experienced our first lowcountry thunderstorm. We’ve gone to this place or that place for the first time. Everything is a first. But what will likely go down as a most favorite first occurred a few days ago….our first oyster roast.
With houseguests and the kiddo in tow, we headed down to the banks of the May River. As we pulled onto the shell and dirt path leading to the Bluffton Oyster Company, we spotted the fishing boat at the dock. The fishermen were unloading freshly caught shrimp and shoveling oysters from the deck and into a pile below. We knew immediately this was going to be a good day.
We entered the market and quickly began explaining to the gals behind the counter that we are new here and essentially fish-market novices. They could not have been nicer, providing us with a well-prepared tutorial on lowcountry seafood. (I had no idea there are approximately 200 oysters in a bushel!) They took us through available in-season fish varieties, how to prepare dishes, and gave us insider’s tips such as pre-ordering deveined shrimp or oysters for holiday dinners. We purchased shrimp and a half bushel of oysters – all of which had just come off the boat docked outside – and headed home excited and giddy.
Oysters are more than a meal; they are an event requiring work and dedication. But the rewards are so yummy it’s worth every messy minute. We dumped the contents of the bushel bag into a bucket. Huddled around a running water hose in the backyard and with scrub brushes in hand, we inspected and cleaned the clusters before transferring them to another bucket. This process was a first for all of us and resulted in lots of cuts from sharp shells and a new found knowledge that it’s best done with gloves. Once the oysters were cleaned, we began deveining shrimp while also skirting questions from the kid about what deveining means.
Fire hot, table covered in paper, shucking knives ready for work, and we were off. Within five minutes on the fire, the bivalves began to open. And within 10 minutes on the table the first batch was gone! Out of nowhere we found ourselves in fierce competition to see who could find the most oysters in a cluster or whose plate had the highest stack of empty shells. I made the rookie mistake of taking the time to carefully shuck, place an oyster on a cracker, and dress it with cocktail — I looked up to find the entire platter in front of me annihilated before I could even take a bite! Luckily there was another batch coming right up…. and another….and another….and another.
This will rank as one of the best and most fun meals I think we’ve ever had. To say it was delicious would be an understatement. It just doesn’t get any better than off-the-boat fresh. I am also now a forever convert and devout lover of the shrimp from this area. I definitely see what the fuss is all about!
This may have been our first foray into lowcountry seafood and oyster roasting, but it will certainly not be the last.
