Oysters!

[Fraxinus]

Well I enjoy them.
So while out for a paddle on sunday I was very happy to find three of them. One was stuck to a brick so well it would take some mason's tools to part them.
The other two I brought home.





The one on the left looks very much like a "native" while the right hand is more a "pacific" interloper, that are sold round here.
Unfortunately the left one was just a solid mass of mud/silt and the right one was a wrong 'un! The smell was not as it should be of fresh ozone and salty sea.
My disappointment was obvious so my good lady has promised to see what is available in the harbour this week.
On another positive note we saw some seals who came over to check us out, that was cool.

Rob.

[Realearner]

Very nice, seen a few myself just not had time to select and try eating
So what harbour? As I'm from Kent

[paulthefish2009]

As a rule I love all seafood apart from oysters and whelks,tried oysters once and they just didn't do it for me.

[rawfish111]

each to their own, oysters I would try.... cooked not as a salty bogey like them cheffy types eat 'em and I tried whelks a long time ago and can just describe them as fishy rubber bands.

[paulthefish2009]

each to their own, oysters I would try.... cooked not as a salty bogey like them cheffy types eat 'em and I tried whelks a long time ago and can just describe them as fishy rubber bands.

My thoughts exactly rawfish.

[Ehecatl]

I first tried oysters a couple of years ago a la "salty bogey" style and I loved them. There are also some recipes for cooked oysters I'd like to try like Raymond Blanc's Steak, Kidney and Oyster pudding.

But yes, each to their own.

M@

[Bernie]

each to their own, oysters I would try.... cooked not as a salty bogey like them cheffy types eat 'em and I tried whelks a long time ago and can just describe them as fishy rubber bands.

My mouth is watering now just thinking about that lovely sea salt flavour of fresh (raw) oysters. Droool.

I will not eat mussels though - had food poisoning as a child thanks to collecting a few bad ones. Poor instruction I believe; remember to collect mussels from below the low water mark, not those that've been baking in the sun for hours!

[Fraxinus]

Realearner, where else but Whitstable? We are lucky it is not too far away.

Paulthefish, my father would any seafood except oysters, he loved a pint of whelks while watching wrestling in the days of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks.

rawfish111, I have to admit I like them best cooked, but usually scoff a couple raw while shucking them.

Ehecatl, putting them into a steak and kidney pudding comes from when oysters were a poor mans food, replacement for the expensive beef, very tasty though.

Bernie, a very valid point on the collecting method. As kids we would wait till low tide and wade out knee deep to collect winkles, then when I got my first kayak I used to paddle out over rocks that were separated by deep gullies and reach down to collect them. We never collected mussels as Mum hated the smell of them cooking but we did eat them on occassion. Maybe you could try again with mussels, they say you have to wait 12 yrs after a bad oyster.(hence my not throwing caution to the wind with the smelly one)

A boatbuilder I worked with, once remarked " Oysters, was it a very hungry man or a very brave man that first tried them?".
He may have been quoting someone, as he was prone to do! but oysters really do provoke that Marmite response!

Thanks for looking in, Rob

[Realearner]

Realearner, where else but Whitstable? We are lucky it is not too far away.

Yep love Whitstable, not far from me either. And you canoe by your avitar! Got one of those so maybe meet up for a paddle

[Fraxinus]

Realearner, where else but Whitstable? We are lucky it is not too far away.

Yep love Whitstable, not far from me either. And you canoe by your avitar! Got one of those so maybe meet up for a paddle

Canoe and kayak yes. Usually use the Ally folder when Suzy and I paddle together or as seems to be more often Kayak for lone river or sea paddles.
Defo up for a paddle work allowing.

Rob.