Conference turris::cooks

        Mike,
        
        	Why don't you start with the dept of fisheries? Also if
        you there are any large markets where the catch is brought in and
        sold, it is possible that there will be a controlling body for
        oyster farming. DOF may also know if these exist..
        
        Dave

Thank you, Dave! That's the kind of pointer which hadn't occurred to me.

    Also give a call to WHOI.. Woods Hole Oceanagraphic Institute, or
    visist one of the best marine biology libraries that I know of. Often a
    call will put you in touch with someone who is bursting with knowledge
    and frustrated in finding someone who wants it.

    
    	Mike,
    
    	  You may want to post this note over in the Oceanography
    conference.
    
    	mr4srv::oceanography
    
    				Jim Geoffrey

I thought of that, but I'm mainly interested in culinary-related info,
not general biology. The DoF sounds like the best lead. But it can't
hurt to try another notesfile.

Thanks for the pointer to Woods Hole. My father's a biochemist, and he
and his colleagues have done visiting research projects there. We've
visited, and I agree, it's a magnificent facility.

    On Martha's Vineyard in the town of Oaks Bluff is a restaurant named
    the Brass Bass...it features an Oyster Bar. Last summer it had an
    oyster sampler which contained 5 varieties sourced from Long Island,
    New Zealand, Chesapeak Bay, Nantucket and I forget the last. All were
    very different in appearance and taste. The Nantuckets were by far the
    best! I'll see if I can locate the phone number as I'm sure they'd be 
    pleased to provide you with their source. Also, the employees were very
    knowledgeable so I imagine they learned well from the owners/managers
    ( I forget the couple's name). 
    Oysters as a rule have a short harvest season usually beginning in the
    fall. I believe Gourmet had an article on oysters in the note too
    distant past.

Thanks for the recommendation. And I'll see if I can dig up the Gourmet issue.

    Although you won't find a lot of recipes in it (there are some), M.F.K.
    Fisher's book "The Art of Eating" has a delightful section (actually
    one of four or five books re-issued under this single cover) on Oysters
    that's worth reading if you enjoy good prose.
    
    	/Harry

    I have recently (in the last couple of years) discovered the joys
    of eating oysters.  The only problem I have is "how in heck do you
    shuck them" without cutting your hands to pieces?  
    
    I prefer them raw, but they're hard to open!  Help!
    
    Sharon
    

    
    Julia Childs recommends using a can opener (the type you use
    to pierce "v"'s into Hawaiian Punch Cans) to pry open the 
    oysters.  This is especially effective on oysters where there
    is a discernible lip on the lower shell, so hand pick your oysters
    with this in mind.  Then you can use a knife to cut the oyster
    free from the shell.
    
    dm

    Hold the oyster IN A CLOTH in your left hand (assuming you're right
    handed). You should be able to detect by looking at the shell which
    edge is the "hinge" and which the open edge. Hold the oyster with the
    hinge into the palm of your hand, so the open edge is outermost,
    towards your fingers. Use a knife with a STRONG, short blade. With the
    knife in your right hand, insert the blade into any discernable crack
    or opening you can discover on the "open" edge of the oyster. Work the
    knife into the gap as far as possible and then give it a good strong
    twist. This should prise the shells apart. 
    

 An old timer who had just returned from a short trip on Great Bay with a 
bucket full of oysters told me that the easiest way to shuck them is to
microwave them for 30 seconds. This doesn't cook them at all, but it opens 
them up enough so you can get the oyster knife into them.

That's an interesting trick. I'm tempted to try it, but I do like my
oysters *ice* cold ...

Anyway, I think Jim Priest's instructions are about as good as you'll
find. Assuming you don't microwave them, there's *no* easy way to open
an oyster (and I've been doing it since I was 13). Julia's trick with
the can opener only works with certain varieties. I often do it without
the cloth to get better control, but I'm probably lucky I haven't
gotten an ambulance ride out of it.

    Microwaving the oysters is easy - and quick - put them in a circle,
    with the opening facing in.  Blast them in short bursts until they just
    open.  They are not warm or cooked.
    

    Thanks for all the suggestions.  I'll give them a try as soon as
    my order comes in.  My mouth is watering!!!
    
    Sharon

My Oyster shucking technique seems to be at odds with the common flow.

Using an oyster knife (strong, short, pointed, slightly curved blade
with a "sheild" at the end by the handle), I look for the "pit" at
the hinge end, and, holding the oyster down on a hard surface with a
towel in the other hand, insert the point of the knife into the "pit"
gently until you feel it's solid, then twist lightly and the hinge
comes loose, after which you can slide the blade in the rest of the
way and sever the adductor.

The major advantage to the method is that the hinge end of the shell
is a lot less fragile and won't fracture as easily.

-Jack