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Smoked shellfish help
- Thread starter jeff lowe
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G
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Hi,
When I lived in Florida, the best way we ever smoked oysters, clams & mussels was to get a nice fire going and get it down to a bed of nice coals. Put 2 or 3 cinder blocks stacked on top of each other in four corners around the fire forming a square or rectangle. Then, place either a large sheet of expanded steel or sheet metal on top of the four corners over the fire.
You can use a big piece of metal and a big fire too if you have a large crowd. Then, dump about 1 or 2 five-gallon buckets of wee-washed oysters or clams or mussels on the metal and spread across so there is only 1 layer. Then, to speed things up...place wet burlap sacks (save the ones your oysters come in for this) over the shellfish. When the shells pop open, they are done. If you like them more done, wait a little longer. Plus, keep some raw ones around because people love those too!! Some cocktail sauce, extra prepared horseradish, and melted butter and saltine crackers, and your favorite hot sauces are good to have on hand.
Oh yeah,....and LOTS OF BEER!!!!
I guess you could shell them first, but that is really a waste of time. Even restaurants steam them open whole.
note: the little pink crabs you occasionally find in the oyster are considered a delicasy!! They steam right along with the oyster and are like a miniature softshell crab about the size of a big M&M. LOL...really.
Man, I miss Florida now!!
When I lived in Florida, the best way we ever smoked oysters, clams & mussels was to get a nice fire going and get it down to a bed of nice coals. Put 2 or 3 cinder blocks stacked on top of each other in four corners around the fire forming a square or rectangle. Then, place either a large sheet of expanded steel or sheet metal on top of the four corners over the fire.
You can use a big piece of metal and a big fire too if you have a large crowd. Then, dump about 1 or 2 five-gallon buckets of wee-washed oysters or clams or mussels on the metal and spread across so there is only 1 layer. Then, to speed things up...place wet burlap sacks (save the ones your oysters come in for this) over the shellfish. When the shells pop open, they are done. If you like them more done, wait a little longer. Plus, keep some raw ones around because people love those too!! Some cocktail sauce, extra prepared horseradish, and melted butter and saltine crackers, and your favorite hot sauces are good to have on hand.
Oh yeah,....and LOTS OF BEER!!!!
I guess you could shell them first, but that is really a waste of time. Even restaurants steam them open whole.
note: the little pink crabs you occasionally find in the oyster are considered a delicasy!! They steam right along with the oyster and are like a miniature softshell crab about the size of a big M&M. LOL...really.
Man, I miss Florida now!!
G
Guest
Guest
Rocky:
That is exactly the way that oyster roasts are done in the Low Country of South Carolina. Back in the 1960's, we used to go on vacation to Hilton Head -- back when there was ONE motel on the entire island -- the William Hilton Inn in Sea Pines. They had a weekly Friday night oyster roast and that's how it was done.
The sheet metal is not really required. You can just wrap your oysters in wet burlap and throw 'em right on the grate of your grill. I've done 'em that way many a time.
Dirty little secret: you get basically the same results (but decidedly less "ambience") putting a baking dish full of oysters in the microwave for a couple of minutes 'til they open.
That is exactly the way that oyster roasts are done in the Low Country of South Carolina. Back in the 1960's, we used to go on vacation to Hilton Head -- back when there was ONE motel on the entire island -- the William Hilton Inn in Sea Pines. They had a weekly Friday night oyster roast and that's how it was done.
The sheet metal is not really required. You can just wrap your oysters in wet burlap and throw 'em right on the grate of your grill. I've done 'em that way many a time.
Dirty little secret: you get basically the same results (but decidedly less "ambience") putting a baking dish full of oysters in the microwave for a couple of minutes 'til they open.
G
Guest
Guest
Oh yeah....this can be done on any grill for smaller amounts of people or even in your kitchen oven (on proper pans naturally).
Make sure with clams (maybe mussels too) that you soak them in fresh water and drain and repeat several times. The clams "Spit" out most of the grit and sand. Believe me, this works and you really want to do this. Nothing worse than getting a mouthfull of grit when you bite down.
Don't use any shellfish that stay open before they are cooked. Sometimes clams will open some until you touch them or shake them...then they snap shut...but other than that....throw out any shellfish that stay open before cooking. Also, if any refuse to open when all the others have been open for a while after cooking, throw those out too. Some might just be packed full of mud and look like a full shellfish. Don't take any chances.
If eating raw, make sure you know where the shellfish came from, and that they are in season...and if they smell the least bit funny...don't eat them.
Make sure with clams (maybe mussels too) that you soak them in fresh water and drain and repeat several times. The clams "Spit" out most of the grit and sand. Believe me, this works and you really want to do this. Nothing worse than getting a mouthfull of grit when you bite down.
Don't use any shellfish that stay open before they are cooked. Sometimes clams will open some until you touch them or shake them...then they snap shut...but other than that....throw out any shellfish that stay open before cooking. Also, if any refuse to open when all the others have been open for a while after cooking, throw those out too. Some might just be packed full of mud and look like a full shellfish. Don't take any chances.
If eating raw, make sure you know where the shellfish came from, and that they are in season...and if they smell the least bit funny...don't eat them.
Jim Langford
TVWBB Fan
Friends,
Rocky's advice is sound. In my experience the best way to purge shellfish of sand is to leave them in a bucket of seawater overnight.
Mr S.
Rocky's advice is sound. In my experience the best way to purge shellfish of sand is to leave them in a bucket of seawater overnight.
Mr S.
Jim Langford
TVWBB Fan
Jeff,
I'm curious. Where do you obtain your seafood? I'm originally from San Diego, and there never was an over-abundance of fish and seafood there, as I recall. One exception to that rule would be Point Loma Seafoods on Shelter Island, where there was always a good selection of fresh fish, shellfish, etc. My mother lives south of you, a couple of hours south of San Felipe, Baja Calif. I was there this past summer, and there was some nice fish to be had, as well as crabs and clams. By the way, there is tons of mesquite wood down there in the desert, free for the taking. She has a little ECB, and we had that baby chugging along all summer with mesquite. The Mexicans also sell lump charcoal made from mesquite. It might be worth your while to pick up a bag or two of it next time you are in Tijuana.
Regards,
Mr S.
I'm curious. Where do you obtain your seafood? I'm originally from San Diego, and there never was an over-abundance of fish and seafood there, as I recall. One exception to that rule would be Point Loma Seafoods on Shelter Island, where there was always a good selection of fresh fish, shellfish, etc. My mother lives south of you, a couple of hours south of San Felipe, Baja Calif. I was there this past summer, and there was some nice fish to be had, as well as crabs and clams. By the way, there is tons of mesquite wood down there in the desert, free for the taking. She has a little ECB, and we had that baby chugging along all summer with mesquite. The Mexicans also sell lump charcoal made from mesquite. It might be worth your while to pick up a bag or two of it next time you are in Tijuana.
Regards,
Mr S.
G
Guest
Guest
I found that by soaking the shellfish in freshwater...they will spit out the grit even faster and more of it. But you don't want to leave them in freshwater for more than maybe 3 hours. The freshwater makes them start spitting out the grit immediately, it is like a reaction to being in freshwater. So, change out the water after about every 30 minutes or so.
I don't really know much about west coast seafood...but I'm sure this part would be the same anyway. It works for shellfish in the gulf too (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FL Panhandle).
I don't really know much about west coast seafood...but I'm sure this part would be the same anyway. It works for shellfish in the gulf too (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, FL Panhandle).
G
Guest
Guest
It might be kind of a waste of charcoal & wood to fire up your WSM and get it all ready just to smoke some oysters or clams. They only take about 20-30 minutes.
If you do use your WSM, you might want to take out the water pan...you want high heat for steaming open shellfish.
If you want to save space...you could get a bunch of pre-shucked oysters and clams & mussels and lay them on a piece of mesh screen or other appropriate seafood rack and smoke them as low of a temp you can get to.
This kind of smoking (cold smoking), is much easier though using an electric smoker such as a Cookshack. You want to keep the temp down low...usually below 160.
Check the recipe section where I posted some information on cold smoking. You could also do this with your seafood on the half-shell, but the shells will take up most of your space.
If you do use your WSM, you might want to take out the water pan...you want high heat for steaming open shellfish.
If you want to save space...you could get a bunch of pre-shucked oysters and clams & mussels and lay them on a piece of mesh screen or other appropriate seafood rack and smoke them as low of a temp you can get to.
This kind of smoking (cold smoking), is much easier though using an electric smoker such as a Cookshack. You want to keep the temp down low...usually below 160.
Check the recipe section where I posted some information on cold smoking. You could also do this with your seafood on the half-shell, but the shells will take up most of your space.
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