P & J's shucking last oysters today

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flyinbayou
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P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by flyinbayou »

Sigh...

NEW ORLEANS — The pre-dawn shucking of small mountains of oysters that is an age-old workaday ritual in New Orleans is coming to an end at the 134-year-old P&J Oyster Co., because of the oil spilling ominously offshore.
Barring an unforeseen reopening of the oyster beds that supply P&J, Thursday was to be the final day of shucking at the family owned business in the city's French Quarter.
"I'm going to try and buy a few shucked oysters from some people in Alabama that are still processing oysters and once they stop, I'm done," said Al Sunseri, who along with his brother Sal has run the business that opened in 1876.


Full story here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD9G8CU9G0
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Mrs. Fury
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by Mrs. Fury »

flyinbayou wrote:Sigh...

NEW ORLEANS — The pre-dawn shucking of small mountains of oysters that is an age-old workaday ritual in New Orleans is coming to an end at the 134-year-old P&J Oyster Co., because of the oil spilling ominously offshore.
Barring an unforeseen reopening of the oyster beds that supply P&J, Thursday was to be the final day of shucking at the family owned business in the city's French Quarter.
"I'm going to try and buy a few shucked oysters from some people in Alabama that are still processing oysters and once they stop, I'm done," said Al Sunseri, who along with his brother Sal has run the business that opened in 1876.


Full story here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... QD9G8CU9G0
I am not an oyster fan but this is so sad. :(
I like kids. They taste like chicken.
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chefairline
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by chefairline »

They're not the only oyster shuckers in town, so what gives?
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by flyinbayou »

chefairline wrote:They're not the only oyster shuckers in town, so what gives?
You do realize you need product to shuck, don't you?
P and J's have always been known for selling high quality Louisiana oysters to many local restaurants/retailers. There may be other's that continue to shuck oysters but they won't be the same quality that many, including your upscale restaurants, have grown accustomed to.
Apparently, they've decided to import w. coast oysters. I've had some different species out there and, while some were tasty, many are of a very small size and very expensive!

Article here.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill ... _in_f.html
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by Jeeves »

FB I have tried West Coast oysters with an open mind (my mind, not the oysters) and found them all lacking in flavour and texture compared to our own Louisiana species. Please, Lord, don't let that crap get into our oyster beds!
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Oyster
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by Oyster »

chefairline wrote:They're not the only oyster shuckers in town, so what gives?
You will be able to count on one hand the others within the next few months.
No one in the New Orleans area did the volume of P&J. They typically sell approx 60,000 per day. That would be abut 300 sacks.

Good luck getting that volume from ANY other "coast."
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chefairline
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by chefairline »

As of today, my supplier says he is the only one shucking oysters and they're from the gulf. They look good.
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by flyinbayou »

Here's a brief breakdown of the variety of oysters which, I am sure, Oyster already knows. I've edited for brevity. Full article here http://www.cuisinenet.com/digest/ingred ... ypes.shtml


OSTREA EDULIS
The Belon is the most well known of these oysters. They are round, symmetrical, expensive, and always flavorful. They should never be cooked. They will not be available in markets during the summer (the non-R months) because this is the time when the oysters spawn, causing the texture to become gritty and the flavor to diminish.
Also called: European oyster, flat oyster
In England: Dorset, Whitstable
In America: they have been successfully cultivated, especially in Blue Hill (Maine) and in the Pacific Northwest

Marennes -- the famous green-tinged oysters are raised in claires, with a high concentration of the cholorophyll-containing diatom Navicula ostrearia (a tiny algae).

OSTREA LURIDA
It seems that the only known type of Ostrea Lurida is the Olympia, an oyster that is native to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and that is mostly associated with the waters of Puget Sound in Washington State. It is a very tiny oyster -- on average about the size of a quarter, certainly never larger than two inches in diameter. It takes up to five years to mature, a relatively long time. The flavor is renowned for being good and strong, with a pleasant aftertaste. Again, this oyster is too fine to be used for cooking.
CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA
This is the species that most American oyster lovers call their own. They thrive all the way up to Prince Edward Island and down into the Gulf of Mexico, so the variation among oysters of the different regions is quite great. In general, northern oysters are considered to be firmer, somewhat better for eating raw than the southern varieties.
Also called: Atlantic oyster, Eastern oyster
Regional names (just a few of many): Bluepoint (Long Island), Box Oyster (Long Island), Chesapeake Bay, Chincoteague (Virginia), Cotuit (Nantucket), Kent Island (Maryland), Malpeque (PE Island, Canada), Patuxent (Maryland)

Apalachicola (Florida) -- Plump and sweet, with a hint of copper flavor, these oysters have a greenish, deep shell. This may have been the oyster that was used for Oysters Rockefeller, a dish created at the New Orleans restaurant, Antoine's, during the Gilded Age. It was named after John D. Rockefeller, Sr., because they were both so "rich."

Breton Sound (Louisiana) -- These gulf oysters grow wild in the reefs of Louisiana. They vary in saltiness according to the season, becoming sweetest in the spring when the marshes are flooded with fresh water.

Wellfleet (Massachusetts) -- The salt marshes of Wellfleet in Cape Cod, fed as they are by springs, are the perfect environment for raising oysters.

CRASSOSTREA GIGAS
This oyster is, with a few exceptions, regarded as inferior for eating raw. It can grow to be 12 inches long.
Also called: Pacific Oyster, Japanese Oyster

Popular varieties for serving raw include: Mad River and Tomales Bay (California) and Totten (Puget Sound, Washington)

Kumamoto oyster -- This variation of the Japanese oyster is sometimes given its own species name, Crassostrea kumamoto. It was originally cultured on the island of Kyushu in Japan and is now raised in America from the Gulf of Mexico to British Columbia. It has a distinctive, frilly black shell, and the meat is praised as being delicate, even buttery.

Species Name: CRASSOSTREA ANGULATA
Also known as the Portuguese oyster, they are native to the coastal waters of Spain and Portugal. They are not as refined in taste as the European oyster, and are not usually recommended to be served raw. The shells of the oysters have distinctive purple streaks, and its flesh is tinged with purple at the muscle scar.
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Oyster
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by Oyster »

chefairline wrote:As of today, my supplier says he is the only one shucking oysters and they're from the gulf. They look good.
You kind of made my point with "my supplier says he is the only one shucking oysters." Your first post said P&J not the only shuckers in town, now you say yours is the only one in town.

Call him and ask if he can deliver 60,000 per day. Oh...and since there is a Seafood Festival going on in the French Quarter, see if he can deliver an additional 150 sacks for the event.

I think not...

FB, nice article. Interesting fact on the Oyster Rock made with App's!
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Re: P & J's shucking last oysters today

Post by Suzy Wong »

There seem to be 2 upcoming (well one is in Sept, "seafood festivals)




Louisiana Seafood Festival- New Orleans Vieux to Do
June 12, 2010 - June 13, 2010 Add to Itinerary
http://www.cajunzydecofest.com
Location: Old U. S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave.
Phone: (504) 587-7788 or (504) 952-4168
The Louisiana Seafood & Cajun Zydeco Festivals are joining the 23nd year Creole Tomato Festival for a 1/2 mile of food, music and fun in the Historic French Quarter. Festival site includes the National Historic landmarks of the French Market and LA State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. There will be free Music on 5 stages and Chef Demonstrations throughout the weekend. Over 50 Food, Beverage and Merchandise booths Fishermen, Arts & Crafts and Farmers Villages celebrating Louisiana’s extraordinary culture, music and cuisine – fresh from the farm and fresh from the sea!




4th Annual New Orleans Seafood Festival Fulton Square
September 10, 2010 - September 12, 2010 Add to Itinerary
Times: Friday 4:00 pm - Until; Saturday 11:00 am - Until; Sunday 11:00 am - Until
http://www.neworleansseafoodfestival.com
Location: Fulton Square located on Fulton Street and Lafayette Street next to Harrah's Hotel
Phone: (504) 962-3722
The 4th Annuel New Orleans Seafood Festival will take place again this year at Harrah’s Fulton Square on September 10th, 11th and 12th across from Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in downtown New Orleans. All proceeds for this event will benefit the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation. The festival will feature live music and cuisine from many famed, local restaurants such as ACME Oyster House, Arnaud’s, Café Giovanni, Carnival Brands, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Saltwater Grill, Ernst Café, Galatoire’s Restaurant

A complete list of festivals:

http://www.neworleanscvb.com/calendar/i ... =&catID=15
Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.—Albert Einstein
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