Smoked Oysters

[Born to Fish]

Has anyone ever smoked fresh oysters?

Thanks to BOE and Water Dog I got hooked on oysters this past spring at the Ifish Jetty Fishing BBQ.

I've got a Big Chief and a Brinkman smoker and would be interested in trying any recipes and directions that could be provided. Thanks in advance.

Dean

[Pyramid]

At the local "Wine and Food" fest, one vender offers fresh cooked oysters on the half shell, they have a smoke flavoring. So awesome that my wifee will eat them, which is out of character for her. They either cook em on a smoker BBQ, or add smoke flavoring.
It is 5 bucks for 1/2 dozen, and we go back repeatedly because they are soooo good.
Need to find out how they are doing it. But you are right. Smoke adds something to those. :smile:

[fishisabonus]

When and where is this "Wine and Food" thing.. what booth serves the oysters????

I have tried to smoke oysters. I am still not happy with the outcome. I am close to bragging and sharing, but I am not quite there yet.

I can tell you to cut down on the salt, do not over brine.. and take a mesh screen, like one out of a window.. and tie it to your smoker racks. Spray with Pam. Your oysters won't stick and won't fall thru either.

The small oysters turn into a rubber/leather chewy like substance.. the bigger ones smoke better. Remember, they shrink up to less than half of what you started with. I suggest when you are sorting your oysters for the brine, put aside the smaller ones to eat as shooters while you are smoking the bigger ones. Trust me on this one....

I think I am just about over the last smoking hangover from the last bunch of fish.. maybe I should go ahead and try to perfect this smoked oyster thing again? graemlins/idea.gif

[ 10-01-2003, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: fishisabonus ]

[freespool]

BTF,tried a batch in my Big Chief last winter. The only peoblem was I didn't make nearly enough. They don't take very long, so ya got to keep a close eye on them. I'm thinking I got the recipe out of the Big Chief cook book that came with the unit. I would recommend med. oysters,they don't fall through the grill as easy. I'am right in the middle of a kitchen remodel, so I really don't know where anything is for sure. Do not use galvanized screen,I repeat DO NOT USE GALVANIZED SCREEN.

[ 10-01-2003, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: freespool ]

[Fshklr]

Fishisabonus,
Linda..
What kind of time for the brine? could they be smoked on the half shell? I save the larger shells from bbq'ing and have a good supply for oyster shooters on the half shell.
p.m. info if needed or any tips :wink:

[Born to Fish]

Killertraylor - are you smoking them on the half shell, smoking the whole shell and all like you do in BBQ'ing, or pulling the little goobers out and smoking them on a screen?

[Born to Fish]

Freespool...thanks for the suggestion. Found the book that came with the Big Chief (haven't looked at the book since I bought the smoker this past winter :blush: ) and here's what they say for "Little Chief Smoked Oysters" -

After removal from its shell, the oyster should be blanched (I don't know a Blanch. graemlins/dork.gif )

Cut larger oysters into smaller pieces. Blanching is easy. :grin: Simply put the oysters in a metal strainer and dip them into boiling water until the edges curl. (Usually 2 to 3 minutes.) Then rince in cool tap water.

Place oysters in the "EASY CURE" brine solution for 40 minutes. Rince lightly in warm water and allow to air dry for 40 minutes.

Place oysters on an oiled screen in your "LITTLE CHIEF" and smoke for 50 to 70 minutes. They are done when the edges look dry. Try one. If they get overcooked they become a bit chewy. Use Alder or Apple Chips 'n' Chunks flavor fuel.

I think that the EASY CURE brine they were referring to is:

1 quart water
1/2 cup non-iodized salt
1/2 cup white sugar.

[ 10-02-2003, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: Born to Fish ]

[Killertraylor]

Born to fish - the ones I did were big and I smoked them out of the shell on the big chief racks - I borrowed the wife's cookie cooling racks and put those on top of the big chief racks so they wouldn't fall through. Blanching them would get them to firm up a little which would be nice for keeping them on the big racks.

I think I'm going to buy some Willapa Bay oysters and smoke up a batch for elk camp.

[freespool]

BTF,right on,that's the recipe I was referring to. Don't make the same mistake I did,smoke up 8 or 10 doz.

[ 10-02-2003, 10:04 PM: Message edited by: freespool ]

[Killertraylor]

I've smoked and canned them before - just like I do smoked and canned razor clams. I don't brine them in anything - just put them on the racks fresh and keep smoke on them for a full hour. Put them in canning jars with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon olive oil (keeps them from sticking to each other) and can them in your pressure cooker for 60 minutes on 11 lbs. pressure. They taste wonderful.

I've also had them fresh smoked and they were great, but I don't know if my friend used a brine or not?

[pdxkevin]

I thought that they were similar to shellfish, in that they needed to be cooked rather quickly. If they died before eating them we always through them in the freezer as bait.

The idea of smoking them sounds great, is it safe to do it with raw oysters? Do you pull them from the shell first? I guess you must. so would it be safer to cook them before a slow smoke?

[pdxkevin]

I just bought a little chief at a garage sale. I hope that my 75 cents was a good investment... no time to start smoking stuff... where to begin?

Anyone interested in a smoker get together to share some tips and tricks? Could make it a potluck.

[Pyramid]

Originally posted by fishisabonus:
When and where is this "Wine and Food" thing.. what booth serves the oysters????
<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">It is in McMinnville, around spring break time. McMinnville's Chamber of Commerce could direct you further. It's a good time with wineries and food venders from all over.

[Bait O' Eggs]

Born to Fish
I know the guy I buy the Oysters from sells them smoked and vac packed in several stores on the coast, including the Tillamook cheese factory.

I know he steams them and shells them once they pop open, then he brines them (dont know his recipe) then he smokes them, then vac packs them.

they do grow on you :smile:

[Born to Fish]

BOE, you're right about growing on you....since that BBQ you put on this spring that's on my mind whenever I go to the coast - get fresh oysters to take home. :dance: :cheers:

Thanks also for the tip on how the commercial guy does his - when I come to T-Bay next spring I'm going to have to try picking up some of his smoked oysters at the cheese shop.

Killertraylor - thanks for the tips which should help me avoid a mess when I give this a try. Wouldn't want to open the smoker to find a pile of these goobers on the bottom pan - what a disappointment that'd be.

Thanks all. graemlins/applause.gif

Dean

[Born to Fish]

Boy am I disappointed, just gave smoking oysters a try. :depressed:

Didn't have enough - they were great! :dance:

Considered everything that's been posted so far and I went down to the local Fred Meyer and picked a half dozen "fresh" oysters off their "beach" [seafood counter]. :wink:

1. Taking a hink from BOE I went ahead and steamed them until they opened.

2. Next I removed the top shell off each.

3. Left the goober and juices in the bottom shell, added a small piece of butter, and a sprinkle of garlic salt and regular Mrs. Dashes on each.

4. Plugged in the Big Chief, didn't bother preheating - was getting in a hurry. :smile: Placed the half shells on top rack, put in a pan of alder chips and closed the smoker [I have a top-loader].

5. I checked them after 50 minutes and they looked great - had a nice chestnut brown along the edges and there was no more waiting even if I had to. :cheers:

They were excellent. Need to go back to the Fred Meyer beach real soon and get more. Guess I better first check the tide chart for Boise. :grin:

Just think, if these store-bought oysters were that good, the really fresh ones you get at the coast would be outstanding.

Give it a try.

Dean

[fishisabonus]

Okay boys,

You need to blanche your oysters for a minute or two, depending on the size, before you brine them. You just know when enough is enough.... the edges kinda curl a bit.

Now don't ask me what blanche is.. you need to ask Julia Child that question! :grin:

[Born to Fish]

Fishisabonus - as you can see from my last post I didn't bother with Blanche [or whatever her name was], I chose to steam the oysters instead. Also didn't bother with the brining - prefered the nature flavor augmented by the butter and seasoning added. Think I'll stay with that process now that I know how good it turned out.

Before getting into this I bought a screen-like splatter cover for a large pot at Fred Meyers, thinking I'd put the goobers on that while smoking. But as I found, they smoked up well on the half-shell in their juices and my seasonings, and didn't dry out in the process.

Oh boy, tides look good for Boise this weekend - going back to Fred Meyers' beach to harvest somemore "fresh" oysters for another bout of smoking. :cheers: :dance: :dance: :cheers:

[fishisabonus]

BTF, you do have some good ideas. We have done them like that a BBQ's before. They are yummy. Give your butter mixture a little dash of worcestershire sauce next time. Gives them a nice flavor.

The smoking in the traditional smoker is a different method. I only brined them a couple hours. It was a lot of work for the handful of oysters you end up with. But until I get it perfected, I don't want to take the chance on ruining a huge batch. They are too good to eat as shooters, or lightly battered and fried!

Okay... I am going to have to drive to the beach now to get a fix! My mouth is watering!

:cheers:

[freespool]

BTF.I ment that you follow the directions in the Big Chief book,not skip a step. Here's another tip,buy the oysters already shucked. Less fuss and more yum. Larger oysters stay on the grill better,but not to big.

[fishisabonus]

You can save your shells and reuse them with already chucked oysters.

[Born to Fish]

Freespool and Fishisabonus - when you speak of the "already shucked" oysters are you talking about those goobers they sell in the jars in the store? I've never had the grit to try those [keep in mind that I'm new to this - thanks to BOE graemlins/1zhelp.gif ] those jars never looked all that appealing - sort of like a jar of luggies, if you get my drift. :grin: If that's what you're talking about then that makes things alot simpler for me out here in the desert sands, I'll simply need to start saving the shells as Fishisabonus suggests.

I really prefer smoking the oysters on the half shell in their juices and my seasonings, instead of shell-less on a rack of some sort. Keeps them from drying out and I think you get the same flavor - maybe more [plus those juices make a terrific "cocktail" when they're done smoking].

Using a touch of Worcestershire sauce sounds like a great idea I'll have to try - another possibility is a few drops of red or green [which I prefer] Tabasco sauce.

Freespool, I didn't misinterpret what you said about the Big Chief cookbook, I simply have a tendency to get bored with books of this nature, or assembly instructions, and end up going off on a different direction. Have a history of some failures, and then again some pleasant cooking surprises as in this case. As for my experience with ignoring assembly instructions, I now have an incredible assortment of spare parts for who-knows-what. :wink:

[fishisabonus]

I normally buy my oysters in Oysterville near Long Beach Washington. If I am not at that beach, I always make the trip to the coast and buy them at a fish market where they shuck the oysters daily. The best oysters I have had in years, were from Oysterville, and I got there early and had to wait for them to finish shucking the oysters.

I wouldn't recommend grocery stores or fish markets UNLESS you have bought there before and you are happy with them. Share where those places are... please.

I know in Oysterville you can buy a bag of oysters in the shell for fairly decent price. They are fresh and not muddy at all!

[Born to Fish]

So, I guess that means that we're not talking about those shucked goobers-in-a-jar that are so common in large grocery stores [kept in cooler case usually near the jars of pickled herring]. Bummer! That would have made things easier for me cause of the distance to Oysterville. :depressed:

I've tried the "fresh" oysters sold by Fred Meyer here in Boise on several occassions and they've been okay/good. Yeah, I know you folks near the coast would frown on this when you can get them really fresh off the beach or from local suppliers. But you use what you can get and for now that'll have to do. They usually sell them in two-to-a-package which comes out to about 50-cents/oyster. I'm always careful to make sure that the oyster shells aren't open and/or smell bad.

Thanks for your continued advice.

[long_shanks]

I think that would be the safe way to go, cook em then smoke them, so sence in getting sick or, well, you know, Any way Im gonna try it myself,it sounds sooo good...

[long_shanks]

All I can say about buying from the groc store is LOOK at the dates, buy the freshest or not at all :idea: Dont ever
buy from the reduced rack :sick: :sick:

[hardwood]

I never trust the date, just smell. They should not stink like anything. I can only remember 1 or 2 times I found valley oysters that I would eat, (and I eat just about anything):sick:. Try Oregon Oyster Farm about 5 miles up Yaquina Bay, ask for a shooter!

[zig]

I've been smoking oysters for the past 5 years. It's a Christmas tradition and they only last till shortly after the new year. These little jewels are even loved by people who don't like em fixed any other way.
Now mind you, this is a super secret recipe and only a few have ever pulled it out of me. I thought it would be time for more people to enjoy this delicacy. So here goes...

1. I buy 4 - 1/2 gal containers of extra smalls from Olympia Oyster Co out of Shelton. Be prepared, this runs me about $25 per half gal. that's why I only smoke these once a year.

2. I bring them home, rinse them off and drain.

3. The brine consists of the following

OYSTER BRINE
1/2 GAL OYSTERS
6 C WATER
1 C KOSHER SALT
1 C BROWN SUGAR
1/3 C SOY SAUCE
1 HANDFUL DRY ONION
1 TEAS LIQUID GARLIC
OPTIONAL 1/4 C DARK RUM

Boil slowly for 10 to 30 minutes depending on the amount of flavor you want.

4. Remove and drain in colander (you know, one of those bowels with holes) dry with paper towels and then coat with olive oil.

5. Smoke for about 4 to 10 hours depending on smoker and preference. I use apple and alder pucks in a Bradly smoker. Just watch them. The bottom racks will have faster smoked oysters than the uppers. I rotate them around about every two hours.

6. Finally, I keep about a half gallon in the fridge and vacuum seal and freeze the rest. I've never had to worry about how long they last in the freezer, like I said they are all gone shortly after the new years. The best way to eat them is fresh out of the smoker, still warm with a cold six pack of beer!! Waa hoo!

Note: I bought chrome plated racks that have smaller gaps than the smoker racks do. The oysters shrink when you brine them and again when they are smoked. Don't let them fall through the racks.

[MarlinMark]

Born to Fish,

The Key to buying the shucked, in the jar oysters is to turn the jar and look at the liquid on the "settled" side. The fresh ones have very clear liquid. The cloudier the liquid the older the oysters.

Mark