Foraged mussels and oysters today but need advice please

[Stratts]

I took the kids and missus to Old Hunstanton beach today and the tide was way out, revealing a massive amount of mussels and lots of wild oysters

Gathered a bag full of mussels and am ok with them but i'm not sure about the oysters. I brought 8 home.

I opened one up back at the car and the meat inside is massive, coz the shells are huge!! I've had em before in restaurants and they are nowhere near that size and these will take some slurping.

So decided to cut it up and it aint very pretty tbh!!

Would i be better off frying them in garlic and butter etc and do they need prepping 1st?

Cheers

Stratts

 

[spiritwalker]

i thought oysters were overrated i mean if you do them the proper way you barely get to taste them. However i had some smoked oysters once and they were wicked so maybe thats the way forward :-D

 

[Retired Member southey]

I do like em with just a knob of salted butter in the pan, Nom nom nom!

 

[Stratts]

So they should be good to eat without any prep then? I know the area of shore is ok coz there were a couple of locals collecting buckets full and some nets were full with mark buoys tied to em

 

[ex-member Raikey]

Lol @ Dave,..nom nom ,,

you say your ok with the mussels,...

coiuld you run us ,..well me,..quickly thru your method,...

 

[redneck]

I'd rather have the mussels than the oysters to be honest, just be careful to check the mussels first for "pearls", Little hard bits than can break your teeth if you're not expecting them when you bite down!!!

 

[Stratts]

Lol @ Dave,..nom nom ,,

you say your ok with the mussels,...

coiuld you run us ,..well me,..quickly thru your method,...

De-beard, scrub and rinse taking barnacles off (although fella I spoke to today said he leaves barancles on?!

Chuck in sausepan with a little white wine, garlic and butter and steam for a few mins

Season and serve with crusty bread and proper butter

That'll be my supper tmoro night

 

[lannyman8]

garlic butter chives splash of white wine or sherry or brandy steam for 2 mins then lid off. take out mussels reduce the cooking juice by 2/3 then pour over mussels and add a bit of fresh parsley........awesome.......

oysters, if you know they are ok to eat raw....realy realy fine dice parsley onion chilli garlic cucumber set to one side in a small bowl...take 5-6 tbl spoons of sherry vinegar add to a hot pan add 4-5 tbl spoons of sugar (brown is better) reduce to a thick ish syrup remove from heat add a little sherry (just a splash) and the same of the vinegar again... it should be a thin syrup now por over the fine dice mix of veg and let marinade over night in fridge...... open oysters remove muck (any shell or grit) remove from shell quick wash (very quickly under the tap 1 second is all you need or it washes away the salt and flavour)...place back in one half of the shell serve on a bed of ice with the bip to garnish......

rock on AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

try that son......lol.....

chris...................................................

 

[Andy BB]

Lovely recipes - must try the mussel one!

Just remember to ditch any mussels that don't close when raw, and any mussels that don't open when cooked!

 

[Stratts]

Cor they sound a bit nice mate cheers for that!!

 

[lannyman8]

no probs, hope you enjoy..........

chris..............................

 

[Stratts]

I had the mussels last night, blimmin lovely too

Tried one of the oysters with pepper and lemon juice but they are so big I couldn't gulp it in one go. Really strong taste and had to gob it out in the end

Gonna try cooking em up tnite in breadcrumbs instead with a bit of tarter sauce. Here they are. They have pebbles and mussel shells grown into them!!

 

[lannyman8]

looking good mate, and a realy good price too....lol......

 

[Golb]

Oysters are only to be eaten in months with a 'R', hence the name in French: huîtres (huit = 8). So from September till April, but on their best from December till February.

So if there is no pollution, your oysters will be good, but you might want to return next month

 

[Melonfish]

also why just swallow oysters? isn't that beside the point? chew em and enjoy!

 

[Stratts]

I've chewed them before when they didn't fill my whole mouth, lol!! These are just massive and too strong tasting for me raw.

Will see how we go tnite cooked up and I'll defo be returning and will try and get some cockles and whelks too

 

[The Big Lebowski]

If you want to poach oysters, they cook really well in a tomato sauce...
To make things easier (without expense and time) pour a loyds grossman chilli pasta (or your preferance) sauce into a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil in it first.

Bring the sauce to a low simmer, press dimples into sauce with back of spoon and slide a drained raw oyster into each dimple.

Place plate over fryiing pan (like a lid) and leave for a few mins to poach oytsers. serve with fresh pasta.

Add anything you like, a few slithers of smoked salmon, had full of steamed mussels, make your own sauce, whatever you prefere...

Above is just a simple example of a tasty way to cook them.

I prefere them raw with tobasco and a few
drops of lemon, but understand it can be an 'aquired' taste LoL!

They do still taste superb poached though.

TBL.

 

[Melonfish]

I prefere them raw with tobasco and a few
drops of lemon, but understand it can be an 'aquired' taste LoL!

TBL.

That is how i intend to get my next batch! sounds delish!

 

[The Big Lebowski]

That is how i intend to get my next batch! sounds delish!

They are even better with something a little stronger than tobasco if you like your chilli sauces, it seems to enhance the flavour with me...

All washed down with a nice cold wheat beer

Num, Num.

TBL.

 

[Stratts]

Well I shallow fried em in batter and tried em with and without tartar sauce but I'm afraid I just don't like em!!

It's about the 1st food I've discovered that I don't like