Lowcountry Cuisine Fall/Winter 2019-20

www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.MountPleasantRestaurant.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com lowcountry cuisine LC 21 How to Host an Oyster Roast L ooking to host your first oyster roast? Several options are available in the Lowcountry. For a one-time event, you may book a local catering company that specializes in seafood events. If you want a more hands-on approach, I recommend you co-host your first oyster roast with a friend or family member who has experience in these quirky backyard soirées. The third option is to go it alone! With good pre- planning, help from friends and following the simple steps below, you will do fine. The most important thing is to find a good, dependable supplier of fresh, local oysters that offers them pre-washed. Make sure to order them well in advance, then store them in a cool, shaded space once you pick them up. Plan on a bushel of oysters feeding five or six people. It is acceptable to ask your guests in advance if they will be eating oysters. Some guests enjoy the ambiance of the roast but are not big oyster eaters. For these select guests, you need to have other foods available. I find a couple of pots of chili work well. Prepare one with meat and the other without so everybody has options. On the oyster table, saltine crackers, melted butter, lemon wedges, cocktail and hot sauce are the essentials. Prior to the guests arriving, set up the oyster table, which can be constructed out of a thick sheet of plywood stretched between a couple of saw horses. Pick a spot with good lighting and where the muddy water and bits of shell that fall from the table will not harm anything. On the table, you will need to supply the condiments, oyster gloves, oyster knives, bar rags and plenty of paper towels. Avoid the rookie mistake and don’t buy the cheapest oyster knives. These knives are long-term investment items. As for gloves, purchase heavy jersey gloves that are flat and fit either hand. The table will need to be flanked by a couple of large heavy-duty trash cans that are free of trash for disposing empty shells. BY MAC FINCH