I'm not sure who first decided to smoke an oyster or why, but it sure
was a good idea. The texture of a smoked oyster is nothing like a raw
oyster. It's firm yet still creamy, sweet and addictive to eat as
candy.
The little ones that come in the can are often used as appetizers. Despite being labeled "colossal" they are anything but. They taste a bit like the oil they are packed in. While the canned ones are ok, they are impossible to go back to after eating fresh ones from the Pacific Northwest.
Recently I agreed to judge a contest and received a shipment of deluxe seafood to help me "prepare." I got two fresh steamed crabs, shrimp, smoked salmon and the most plump, sweet smoked oysters I had ever tried. While I had no problem coming up with ideas for using all of the other seafood, I was a bit stumped by the oysters.
These oysters were way too large to languish on a
cracker or a piece of toast. Instead I stuffed them into a bacon,
lettuce and tomato sandwich. The applewood smoked bacon really went
well with the oysters. It provided nice crunchy chewy contrast but also
sweet and salty notes. I know iceberg lettuce is terribly retro, but it
really is the right choice for this sandwich. It provides crunch and
juiciness without competing with all the other flavors. If you travel
to Oregon, there are plenty of wonderful places to find fresh seafood,
raw, cooked or smoked. My luscious oysters came from Bell Buoy of Seaside.
Smoked Oyster BLT
Serves 1
1 roll or ciabatta bread
homemade mayonnaise
2 slices bacon, cooked
1 tomato, sliced
iceberg lettuce
5-6 fresh smoked oysters, not canned
Slice
the bread and hollow out any excess to make plenty of room for the
fillings. Spread the bread with mayonnaise, layer on the slices of
tomato, oysters, bacon and lettuce.
Enjoy!
Amy Sherman is a San Francisco–based writer, recipe developer, restaurant reviewer and all around culinary enthusiast. She blogs for Epicurious , Bay Area Bites and Cooking with Amy .