HUNGRY GERALD

Oysters are bred and farmed in a score of Prince Edward Island’s bays and coves. Many delicious varieties. Johnny Flynn’s Colville Bay oysters have shells with a distinctive green tinge. They are super delicious. HG is also addicted to the big, briny Malpeque Bay oysters and an interesting variety farmed in Savage Harbor. HG likes to have an oyster feast of eight Colville Bays followed by four Malpeques and climaxed by four Grilled Malpeques (a BSK specialty) flavored with a bit of melted butter. PEI oyster eating has brought back happy memories of gluttonous lunches at The Oyster Bar in New York’s Grand Central Terminal. During HG’s New York days, HG would lunch there twice or three times a month. (Months that had an “R” in them, of course). HG lunched there alone. Didn’t want witnesses to HG’s overindulgence. The lunch: Six Long Island littleneck clams on the half shell. Six Wellfleet oysters on the half shell. Oyster Pan Roast. Nesselrode pie.(This is a custard pie filled with candied fruits and topped with whipped cream.Disappeared from restaurant menus many years ago. Most contemporary chefs have never heard of it). Ballantine’s IPA Ale. The pan roast is the Oyster Bar’s signature dish. In HG’s day, the mix of oysters, chili sauce,Oyster brine, cream, celery salt and paprika was cooked at the bar (where HG always sat) in a special machine by an experienced Italian chef. The wonder mix was poured into a bowl over a slice of dry toast. Celestial. HG/BSK have a record of failure in trying to duplicate this dish. Can’t recapture that Oyster Bar magic.

Among the pleasures of summer on Prince Edward Island is the abundance of excellent bivalves–oysters, clams, scallops and mussels. Prices of these good things are much lower than in the United Sates. And, they are just-caught, right-off-the-boat fresh. While two of SJ and EM’s Brooklyn pals (with three lively kids) were visiting PEI, a festive dinner of bivalves fed the group. First course was Malpeque oysters shucked by HG. These were a revelation. They tasted like the very best Fines de Claire HG had consumed at Paris brasseries. HG usually favors Colville Bay oysters in the fall and late summer (they are a bit milky from spawning during mid-summer) or Savage Bay oysters, plump and mild. Malpeques are now first choice. They have long been the oyster most exported from PEI. At a 1900 food exhibition in Paris, they were awarded a prize as the world’s best tasting oyster (the flavorful guys haven’t gone downhill since then). BSK grilled some of the oysters on the barbecue (Modest disagreement. BSK and EM love grilled oysters. HG demurs). Earlier in the day, there was clamming on the shore of St. Mary’s Bay. The Brooklyn group learned fast and some 54 quahog were dug. They were steamed with four pounds of mussels. All of the bivalve juices enhanced BSK’s savory sauce of olive oil, garlic, onions, herbs, etc. Mussels, clams and sauce topped perfectly al dente Garofalo linguine. A caveat from HG. The mussels were disappointing. The flavor was pleasant but the mussels were tiny, a far cry from the plump juicy mussels that have long been a PEI signature. What has happened? The long, harsh winter? Ecological changes in St. Peters Bay and other mussel farming locales? HG hopes conditions change so the mussels return to their former splendor.

Bigger is better in oyster land. HG loves a big, plump briny oyster. There are those that fancy the little guys — the west-coast Kumamotos and such. Patricia Wells, the excellent restaurant critic, cooking teacher, food authority is a member of that party. HG is in opposition. This week HG stopped at Colville Bay Oysters in Souris, Prince Edward Island. HG asked the genial proprietor, Johnny Flynn, for a dozen of the biggest oysters in the house. Johnny picked out some bruisers, each between three and four inches in length. Thick oysters, their shells tinted slightly green (a signature of Colville Bay) filled with luscious brine. They were, without question, the best oysters HG ever tasted. Perfectly balanced between sweetness and sea brine. The texture? It was like eating oyster steaks. The dozen cost 14 dollars. HG was curious about the price of oysters and checked out the oysters at some of HG’s favorite Parisian brasseries. Big, high quality oysters sell for five bucks each. Obviously, the inexpensive brasserie-served plateau de fruits de mer is now, like the inexpensive New York apartment, just a fond memory. HG will confine oyster gluttony to Prince Edward Island. Affordable. And, Johnny Flynn’s product is better than anything the French, British or Irish shores can produce. (BSK insists on a positive mention of Colville Bay’s regular sized oysters: They are of the same delicious quality as the bigs, just smaller and will make most oyster aficionados very happy.)

Birthday dinner for Gifted Daughter Lesley R. Simple and classic. Two big platters of dozens of Colville Bay oysters (the best in the world, attests Oyster Maven HG), a classic Prince Edward Island treat. Served on the HG/BSK deck overlooking the sea. Late sun. A gentle breeze. Cold beer and white wine. Perfect. Went indoors for steamed lobster. This is how HG does it: Two and 1/2 inches of sea water in a big pot. Bring the water to a boil. Put in the live lobsters. Return to a boil, cover the pot and let the lobsters steam for 18 minutes. Take them out. Let them “settle” to room temperature. Devour. The lobsters were accompanied by freshly made cole slaw and herb-flecked potato salad plus sliced tomatoes and crumbly feta. Before the lobster the birthday group knocked off some first-of-the-season corn on the cob served dripping with butter. Dessert was locally baked butter tarts. Laughter, love and many small gifts for the lovely birthday lady.

Gentle, green Prince Edward Island is known for many things: Warm ocean waters, beaches, Anne of Green Gables, mussels, potatoes, oysters, lobsters. Well, there is one more thing that should be added to that list: Very superior alcohol. The Myriad View, founded in 2006, is located near the town of Souris and overlooks scenic Rollo Bay. Myriad View describes itself as an “artisan distillery.” SJ discovered the place, while visiting the Colville Bay Oyster Co. a few weeks ago and bought some of their “Distilled Strait Gin.” This is what the label copy reads: “Crafted by the slow distillation of our purest grain spirit. Distilled through our unique blend of eight organic herbs and spices gathered from five continents. Sophisticated, elegant and smooth. For Gin lovers everywhere.” Yes, the prose is a bit flowery but it is not an exaggeration. HG is not a gin lover but Myriad View’s gin is unlike any HG ever tasted — wonderful bouquet of wild herbs and juniper reflected in extraordinarily complex, lush flavors. HG does not sully it by using it in cocktails. Drinks it over a bit of ice as an after dinner digestif. SJ reports that when he tasted the gin at the distillery and remarked how wonderful it was, the bee-hived woman behind the counter responded — in typically under-stated PEI fashion: “Well he (the distiller) does love his gin.” And Myriad View is not a one-trick-pony, HG’s pre-dinner drink is Myriad View’s Pastis. Some ice and water creates the desired cloudy effect and HG drinks it facing the sea and feeling like a character out of Marcel Pagnol. Pure Provence. Myriad View also crafts vodka and rum but HG will ignore them. Moderation has come late to HG.

Recently, HG posted a paean of praise dedicated to the South Lake oyster, one of Prince Edward Island’s tasty bivalves. A wonderful oyster; indeed, HG called it PEI’s best. Last night, HG/BSK had an experience that put that proposition in doubt. The duo’s generous neighbor, Chuck P., arrived at the door with a bag of a dozen oysters. They were from Johnny Flynn’s Colville Bay Oyster Co.. Although South Lake and Colville Bay are geographically close to each other (in the vicinity of the town of Souris), the oysters have recognizably distinctive tastes. Which is best? HG shucked the dozen Colville Bay plus six big oysters from South Lake. A bottle of chilled New Zealand Marlboro sauvignon blanc was opened and poured. Then, the judicious tasting experience began. Of course, both oyster varieties were delicious, better than anything HG/BSK had experienced in New York, New England, Paris, London and Vancouver. But, the winner of this very close contest was the Colville Bay oyster. Plump and full of brine and juice. A pure distillation of the sea. Is this variety PEI’s best ? HG will not leap to judgment. HG has not yet tasted the lauded Pickle Point or Rasberry Point varieties.

SJ and famille are on Prince Edward Island. That means oyster shucking time. Most oyster lovers are familiar with PEI’s Malpeques. Certainly a tasty, briny oyster. But, it’s not the only Island oyster. Here are some other varieties.Colville Bay, Raspberry Point and South Lake. HG’s favorite is South Lake. Perfect in size. Perfect balance between brine and sweetness. Let’s start shuckin and pass the India Pale Ale.