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An Introduction to the Oyster
Find an introduction to the oyster, local photos, and real estate information
for Brunswick County and coastal NC areas.
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View the Shallotte River
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I had been to oyster roasts and seen fried oysters served on seafood platters before I moved to
Brunswick County, NC. I had not, however, been a part of or exposed to a culture that revered
or devoured the oyster as Brunswick County residents seem to.
When we were dating back in the late sixties, my husband and I would drive up from SC to visit
his family. His greeting to them was always, " Do you have any oysters? Oh yea, how are you? "
It happened often that they did have oysters on hand. His parents would steam the oysters in a
large pot on the stove.
I just kept wondering, " What is it with this man and oysters? They are shells - ugly shells. And
they seemto be dangerous. If you don't handle the shell and the knife just right, you could lose a
finger." This did not fit with my perception of a gourmet meal or a good time. But we all know that
a little mystery is at least a small part of the formula that makes the world go round. I kept my
questions to myself and continued to observe.
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On one particular evening, I worked late and therefore did not have time for dinner before we embarked
on our evening journey to the Old North State. As sure as the sun sets in the west, he popped the oyster
question as soon as his parents opened the door. The oyster event was on, and I was starving.
It was well past the dinner hour and I did not want to trouble anyone with a request for victuals other
than oysters, which seemed to be a prize or reward mor than sustenance. I watched my husband
deftly open each succulent oyster and consume them with a look of pleasure that seemed a bit
extreme for food, especially food that he had just scraped from a dingy, old shell.
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View sunset over the bay. |
The photograph to the left is of a sunset over the
Lockwood Folly River and was made from River
Run Plantation in the Sunset Harbor area. |
As usual, he encouraged me to try them and was more than a little shocked when I said, " Yes, I'll try
one." Now mind you, I felt no obligation to prove anything, overcome anything, or to be a team player. I
was hungry. And it seemed that my choices were to eat oysters or slip into a faint, or at the very
least be taken with a minor fit of the weak trembles, from lack of nourishment.
He searched the group of oysters over until he settled on onethat was small and alittle overcooked. He
opened the bivalve, cut it out of the shell and offered it to me.
I tentatively accepted the morsel and applied the " rip the band-aid off quickly method" by swallowing
without chewing. We repeated this two or three times more and I was hooked. I was quite taken aback
at the delicate, slightly salty flavor that was so delicious I completely forgot about the vessel on which this
food treasure arrived and was presented.
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Now two or three oysters do not a meal make. They handed me a knife and proceeded to instruct me on the
appropriate and most effective method of opening oysters. The method in theory was entirely understandable,
simple really, but in reality I just could not open those things. At least, I could not open them as fast as I
wanted to eat them. They all opened oysters for me and strove diligently, but not entirely successfully, to
hide their amusement at my oyster shucking attempts. I knew that it was a pretty funny sight and appreciated
that they at least tried to spare my feelings. Of course, the fact that they were feeding me went a long way in
generating feelings of tolerance on my part.
I suspected for some time that an appreciation for oysters and everything seafood
related may have been a requirement for admission to the Kirby family. Since I
passed the test and eventually became a rather accomplished eater of oysters, I guess
I will never really know.
We soon moved to the Oak Island - Southport area of the county, but we all laughed
about my introduction to oyster shucking many times, usually at the locally famous
oyster roasts we all enjoyed in my mother-in-law's back yard.
But the oyster roast is another story .... to be told at another time. |
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and activities throughout the area. See properties in the Shallotte and Bolivia areas, and visit the
real estate guide for additional property details. Go to page 5. | |
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