Yum or Yuck
Certain foods get a strong reaction of either love or hatred from most people. Among those are things like raw oysters, tuna tartare, and anchovies. I react with extreme LOVE to all of these foods and was privileged to enjoy two of them for lunch today.
My friend Betty, who shares my love of raw oysters, periodically suggests we meet at Black Salt for lunch. You wouldn’t eat raw oysters at just any seafood restaurant because you can get very sick if they are not handled correctly. But Black Salt is one of the premier seafood restaurants in the DC area and I never worry when I eat there.
We always sample all the oyster options -- charming names like Blue Point, James River, New Point (Virginia), and Little Ring (British Columbia). Some might say they all look and taste equally slimy, but there is a definite difference. The oysters come on a bed of crushed ice with lemon wedges, red horseradish sauce, and mignonette, a sauce made with red wine vinegar, shallots, sugar, and sea salt. Today we had 9 oysters each and savored each one.
Our next course was tuna tartare (raw, finely chopped tuna) on a hot rice cake with lots of black sesame seeds and fresh herbs. It was a wonderful dish to follow the oysters.
We enjoyed a glass of chilled white wine with our meal. We opted to skip dessert and instead have a cup of frothy cappucino with a hint of raw sugar.
Knowing Betty she would be equally game to split an anchovy pizza with me. We seem to have similar tastes in food.
We are already talking about our next lunch outing -- maybe Sushi-Ko in Chevy Chase or something in the U Street corridor (note to self: ask Richard for his latest recommendation.) Lunch out is always fun, but even more so with an adventurous eater like Betty.
How do you feel about raw oysters? Tuna tartare? Anchovies?
posted by Barbara at 3:54 PM
25 Comments:
I do love me some Oysters!
i even like to shuck 'em!
I find it kind of relaxing. You must Grok the oyster, keeping it nice and cold and comfortable and them *CRACK* pop 'em right open.
I try to get 10 a minute.
Don't usually make it.
"The time has come the walrus said...."
Bulletholes -- If and when I ever see you, we will buy us a bushel of oysters and have a shucking contest. I seriously doubt I can do 10 a minute though. We used to buy them for 2 cents apiece when I was growing up and I was the one who shucked them. You can do some real damage to your hands if you aren't careful, yes?
Don't you just love Lewis Carroll's The Walrus and the Carpenter?
Bulletholes -- What does "Grok the oyster" mean?
Yum, yum, and yum. Oysters are my fave, but my fiance hates them raw. He hates sushi, too! Gotta find a raw fish fan to share with.
OK, you had to ask...in martian it means 'Thou Art God"...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok
Wellfleet or Apalachicola for me; very different, but each great. You and bulletholes will have to give a seminar in shucking.
WV: noper!
Everything at Black Salt is delicious, probably even the oysters! But raw oysters are a little too slimy for me. Sushi is as far as I'll go on the raw seafood adventure.
BettyJoan -- Come back to DC and I will eat raw fish of most any variety except flounder with you!
Bulletholes -- I didn't know I had to worship the oyster before cutting its muscle!
Tut-tut -- I grew up on Apalachicola oysters because it was only about 60 miles down the road from PC.
Please explain the last line of your comment. I have been known to miss the obvious!
Cyndy -- I learned to eat oysters with the instruction that if you put enough hot sauce on anything and a saltine underneath it, it would taste good. I have since come to really appreciate the taste of the oyster itself and to decide they are really not slimy at all.
love the oyster...
love the shashimi...
if you have time when you visit, we can go out to Sonoma County oceanside and and eat the best darn barbeque oysters you have EVER tasted! MMMMmmmmmmnnnnnnn! It's been tooooo long!
Oysters ... yum
raw tuns.... probably
anchovies..... yuck
But what about caviar!! for me very yum!
xx
I think I could probably handle the anchovies - the rest, I'll leave for all you seafood lovers to enjoy!! :)
dear, don't ask...
If I remember correctly, I like 'em; heck, bring on the sardines and kipper snacks while you're at it. If I still ate meat, I'd be all over them.
Sounds like a lovely outing!
I love raw oysters, especially sluuuurrrping them down, juice and all, straight off the shell. I've never tried tuna tartare, but I think I would like it. Anchovies? Alas, no.
I knew you people wouldn't be ambivalent! No judgment on your definite opinions however...
Barbequed oysters sound positively scrumptious to me!
I love tuna tar-tar. Anf for a U Street recommendation I really like Next Door.
I've been sticking to my vegan diet very well with no cravings to go off it, , so I haven't had any of these treats in a long while. I like the flavor of anchovies and all seafood I guess...
My sister used to read Alice to me, the whole thing-- and had me memorize the Walrus and the Carpenter when i was little.
LOVE THEM ALL!
Especially love oyster shooters! Booze AND oysters all in one shot- what could be better?
One of my favorite lunches, that my dad would make, was anchovies on buttered bread- YUMMO!!!
I'll split that anchovy pizza with you anyday.
Lem -- Thanks for the U St recommendation. We will have to check it out. I trust you as much as I trust Richard, my hair stylist!
Gewels -- You are definitely on for anchovy pizza if I can ever drag you away from the wine store. How about I come up for a visit? I'll bet you even know a good pizza place. I am picky about pizza. A good crust is hard to find around here.
Has anyone here ever had FRESH anchovies? They are delightful, unlike the regular kind.
Cyndy -- Yes, FRESH anchovies are wonderful. We have eaten them in Italy, where many of them are caught. They have little resemblance to the salty ones that come in the can!
I like sushi and thus tuna tartare would be no problem (though I don't think I've ever had it). Anchovies are fine.
Oysters -- no way.
P.S. -- I am totally amused that "grok" has its own Wikipedia page! Hysterical!
Steve -- Just about everything is in Wikipedia these days. I have yet to understand how entries are "refereed".
I would have figured you for an oyster lover, given your home state!
I ate my share of them years ago, but they do gross me out. And I'm phobic about shellfish and food poisoning.
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