Ugly Oysters With Beautiful Flavor

Barren Island Oyster Company, affectionately referred to as BIO by adoring fans, has released a new oyster to accompany its namesake, Barren Island Oysters.  World, meet the Ugly Oyster.  Owner of BIO Tim Devine gets very excited when talking about the Uglies and I think it's because they go against the industry cookie-cutter standard of what an oyster should look like.  This is very much in line with how Tim thinks.  Knowing him personally, I can honestly say there is not a moment of the day when he is not trying something new on the farm in order to produce a better oyster.  Right now he is working with incorporating ultraviolet rays in order to make oysters safer to eat without compromising flavor.  Genius!

Ugly oysters will be harvested from Tim's water leases located around Barren Island which is located in Hoopers Island, MD.  The area is very close to where the Barren Island Oysters are harvested, so the the flavor profiles are very similar.  Ugly oysters are very balanced, with a buttery southern oyster sweetness, light traces of brine, and a tickle of mineral citrus that hints at limestone but goes no further.  The reason they are called Ugly is due to their outward appearance.  In today's oyster race where competitors manicure away trying to cultivate oysters that are identical in size and shape, Uglies take a page out of nature's playbook and offer a smorgasbord of different patterns, more akin to the natural order of things.  Though there is a bit of shaping (the Uglies get tumbled three times in their lifespan) it is minimal when compared to other oysters, including Barren Islands.  When ordering your Uglies you can expect a mishmash pattern on the plate and a delicious performance on your palate.      

Black Restaurant Group (BRG) appreciates honest hard work and people dedicated to their craft.  So we are excited to say that we are now offering Ugly Oysters as our official Happy Hour oyster selection at our BlackSalt, Blacks Bar, Pearl Dive and Republic locations.  Happy Hour constitutes those few hours of the day when the headaches of long workdays dissolve in the gluttonous consumption of icy cold oysters and mistakes are washed away with delicious beverages, all at friendly prices.  It's that time period that can really salvage a day or get a night started.  So drop by any BRG establishment during Happy Hour and you will be sure to be greeted by a gracious smile, a cold beverage, and a heavenly, unique Ugly Oyster.

Mercury Warnings Get Makeover

Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of the FDA, recently told the Associated Press that the government is planning an update to its guidelines about seafood consumption by pregnant women considering seafood mercury levels.  The subject of mercury levels in seafood still remains a hotly debated topic for both expecting mothers as well as the general public.  However, much of the data we reference today come from studies that occurred over 50 years ago in specific areas.

There is still much ignorance on the science behind the dangers of trace levels of mercury in seafood proteins, especially considering that there are often also traces of selenium in the same proteins.  Selenium has been proven to bind to mercury molecules, which enables the body to expel the harmful pollutants.  There is much hope within the seafood industry that the FDA's new advisory will bring updated, more science-based assessments of seafood to light, including the benefits of selenium, omega-3s, and vitamins found in seafood as well as the harmful effects that seafood deficiencies can have on developing children and adults alike.  

If you would like to read further on the matter you can click here.  I hope the forthcoming FDA announcement provides a more balanced view of seafood consumption and sheds light on a misunderstood and often over-dramatized issue.       

Shrimp Issues Present Big Prices

Though the shrimp season has started in some states, the forecast for this season is not looking great.  The Texas Gulf season has historically opened in June but that date has been pushed back to July 15th and there is speculation that it will be pushed further back to the end of July.  The reasoning is the same as last year: pushing the dates back will allow shrimp to grow so that larger sizes may be harvested.  Right now shrimp prices are 25% higher than years past and, with a slow season projected for 2014, prices do not seem to be going in a favorable direction.

The foreign market is slowly coming on after months of silence as disease had devastated farmed stocks, but the lackluster rebounding performance of these imports has done nothing to soften prices of domestic shrimp.  If anything, the demand for domestic wild shrimp has increased due to fears of foreign markets' rampant disease and less than savory farming practices.  All I can say is that we are paying more than I have ever seen for wild domestic shrimp and, really, for all types of high quality shrimp.

 I wish I was bringing good news of relief for the near future, but at the moment I don't expect there to be any major drop in shrimp prices before the month of August.  Shrimp represents one of the most consumed seafood items in the American diet, so this issue is nothing slight.  Margins are beginning to tighten on shrimp as wholesalers and retailers alike try to contend with just how far, or should I say how high, consumers will go to get their shrimp on the plate.  

Soft Shell Season Is In Full Swing

Last Thursday, the 15th, was the first full moon in May and the annual  big spring run of local soft crabs kicked off to a great start.  Memorial Day weekend is a great time to enjoy soft shell crabs. Peeler runs, when crabs begin molting, are coming on strong now in the Core, Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds of North Carolina. Almost simultaneously, as if they received the call from Carolina, the crabs in the Northern Neck of Virginia (James, York, Rappahannock, & Piankatank Rivers) have begun their run. 

The Eastern shore of Virginia is starting to catch lots of peelers and Maryland creeks and rivers will most likely pick up the week after Memorial Day, meaning that there could be a glut of local soft shell crabs for the next few weeks.  The recent 80 to 90 degree days have finally warmed the shallow waters enough to spur the crabs to awaken from their winter slumber. The crabs were "fat" when they buried in the mud last November and now they must shed their shells (exoskeleton) in order to grow. They increase their size roughly 30% each time they molt.  It is one of the true wonders of nature to watch.  Imagine being reborn, casting your skin aside and re-defining yourself physically. Chitin is the protein responsible for hardening the crab shell to the almost inedible state in which we are accustomed to cracking with hungry mallets and tacky bibs during the summer months.  The process only takes about 6 hours, making the window to harvest the perfect textured soft crab out of the water very short. 

This run will last only about three weeks, so don't delay, it may be the biggest glut of the season for soft shell crabs.  This will be the time when quality is high and prices are low, and unfortunately by the 10th of June it will be over.  Soft shell crabs will still be available, but prices will rebound as the volume drops.  The crab population is predicted to be less than last year, so don't miss out on a sure bet over the next three weeks.

The King Of Salmon Is Ivory

It's early spring, the Mahi are on the move, Alaskan halibut and sable have started showing up, crabs are stirring in the Chesapeake and, wouldn't you know it, we just received our first Ivory King salmon of the year.  It's definitely early in the season but as you know the beginning of the season is where you find some of the tastiest fish.  Copper River hasn't opened just yet but we have received a small delivery of Ivories from Sitka Sound, Alaska courtesy of skipper Jeff Hochstein of the fishing vessel Pacific Sun.

The Ivory King salmon is quite a unique fish.  I have previously posted on its merits and scarcity and encourage anyone buying wild salmon this year to try the Ivory.  Only the king salmon species can be ivory, a condition that results from a natural mutation.  Ivory salmon is rare in the wild; only a small percentage of fish carry the gene and historically the fish were seen as inferior.  Unfortunately, today's chefs have gotten much smarter and the fish are in much higher demand.  I have seen the price of ivory salmon triple over the last 5 years, and rightfully so.  Ivory salmon do not have a strong salmon flavor, like normal kings do.  Instead their white flesh is buttery, almost nutty, with rich oils and a mild, savory finish.  It's a different experience from dining on your typical salmon, almost feeling like you are eating a different species.  The flesh nonetheless is par excellence and for my taste buds the ivory kings are at the top of the salmon spectrum.

The Pacific Sun landed the troll caught ivories on Tuesday and we were fortunate enough to have them FedExed to us on Wednesday - talk about dock to door!  Trolling is a type of hook and line fishery that is sustainable with little by-catch.  We were only able to snag two fish, and price is always at a premium in the early runs of the season, but if you ask me or anyone else who's tried the ivory salmon, any trouble is well worth it.  So here's to the king of king salmon, just in time for the queen of your castle.  Happy Mother's Day!       

New Zealand Offers A "New" Gigas

Kaipara Oysters

Oyster eaters in the U.S. are very familiar with the Japanese species crassostrea gigas, commonly referred to as the West Coast oyster.  You can find them available in oyster bars and restaurants throughout the States sold under a variety of names such as Hog Island, Naked Roy, Kusshi, and Totten Inlet, grown by different companies in different locations along the Pacific Coast.  These delicious half-shell treats were introduced to our West coast as early as 1920 from Japan and have been growing like weeds ever since.  They dominate the world market, supplying about 75% of the world's oysters, but that doesn't necessarily mean American palettes are familiar with gigas grown outside the U.S. and Canada.

That's all about to change though as I am happy to introduce two new gigas to our oyster repertoire: the Kaipara and Coromandel oysters from New Zealand.

Kaipara oysters are grown in Kaipara Sound located in the northwest region of New Zealand's North Island.  This body of water is New Zealand's largest and most isolated body of water making it the perfect spot to introduce sustainable oyster farms.  Good water produces good oysters, and the second-generation family-run farm uses intertidal growing methods to deliver deep cupped bi-valves with plump meat.  Kaipara Oyster Co. began the process of producing oysters in the 1970's, around the same time gigas were introduced into New Zealand to relieve pressure on native stocks.  Kaiparas are lightly salty, creamy, and finish with citrus notes and cucumber fragrance. 

The second new addition, Coromandel oysters, are grown in the Coromandel Peninsula, also located in the North Island region of New Zealand, and are touted by many oyster aficionados as being the best tasting gigas on earth.  The waters here are pristine and the flavors they impart on oysters are unparalleled.  The meats are buttery and plump and wildly briny for a gigas species.  These oysters finish with hints of melon and cucumber and brighten the palette with a zesty crispness.  

During the summer months there are always closures for East and West Coast oysters in the states due to spawning.  The scenario in New Zealand is the exact opposite; when we are sweating through the heat and racing towards refrigeration, they are donning winter coats and their shellfish are feeding heavily, making for fatty, delicious oysters.  It's always so interesting to me that oysters grown just a few hundred yards away from each other can vary so much in flavor.  Just imagine what a few oceans and thousands of miles can do for variation.  I can't get my head wrapped around the thought but, fortunately, I will be able to let my taste buds do the thinking for me.  I'll let the oysters do the talking for themselves, transporting me to the crisp, pristine waters of a New Zealand winter while the sidewalks melt outside in the D.C. heat.                

Wild Salmon Season

The "official" start of wild salmon season traditionally begins with the opening of the Copper River Run, which begins in May.  However, wild king salmon are beginning to show their beautiful black mouths at high-end markets that can afford them.  Most are coming in from Sitka and Yakutat, both located in the Southeast portion of Alaska.  Though prices are extremely high for big, fresh Chinook salmon right now, you have to understand that the season hasn't really kicked off yet.  So what can we expect from the fishery this year?  Here's a quick projection:


Looking at the overall harvest numbers is a scary thing.  The Pacific wild salmon harvest is forecasted to be down 47% from last year.  Before you start shedding tears and freezing pounds of wild salmon at a time, let's investigate that dooms-day figure.  Most of that drop in harvest is comprised of the pink salmon fishery.  Pinks are projected to decline in catch by 67%, which is down significantly from last year's record number of 226 million pounds, but pinks will most likely continue to make up the bulk of the harvest figures.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game predicts the Coho salmon harvest to be around 4.4 million pounds, which is a relatively promising number.  Washington State is predicting Coho runs (number of salmon returning to spawn) in the Puget Sound area and Columbia River to increase this year, and, generally speaking, Coho runs are predicted to be stronger than previous years.

Sockeye salmon runs in Alaska are looking to increase by 14% from 2013 numbers.  The harvest is forecasted at 34 million pounds.  Even better news is coming from Canada: This year's Fraser River sockeye runs are predicted to be the best ever on record, hopefully offsetting the decline of pink salmon harvested and giving relief to the market.  The B.C. predictions for sockeye look very promising and this year we could really see some relief in prices for the ultra healthy, super tasty sockeye species.

Wild king salmon, Chinooks, are expected to rebound in the Washington Sate harvest, specifically in the Columbia River and Puget Sound.  These fish will be comprised mostly of hatchery fish returns.  This is good news, but, unfortunately, the Alaskan fishery is not looking as optimistic.  The Yukon River will continue to be closed due to lack of returning salmon and there is a troubling report from the Kenai River that a minimum escapement number of fish won't be met even if no fishing occurs.  A minimum escapement is a number of returning salmon set by scientists and researchers needed to pass freely and spawn in order for the following year's return stocks to be successful.  Wild Alaskan king salmon continue to struggle to regain a foothold.

In some regards, in the case of returning sockeye, this year looks very promising in terms of getting affordable, nutritious, wild salmon to market throughout the summer.  On the flip side, don't expect wild Chinook salmon prices to be any less than they were last year, unless you live in the Washington State area.

It is important to note that less than 60 years ago salmon runs were so plentiful that you couldn't cross some rivers without stepping on a salmon.  Shifting baselines have caused us to lower our expectations of what is "acceptable" when it comes to returning salmon figures.  Our point of reference for what a healthy stock looks like has drastically changed, reflecting the depletion of salmon stocks becoming the norm.  I hope that we continue to encourage and support strong salmon runs by limiting harvests, resurrecting destroyed habitat, and controlling by-catch.  Restoring our wild salmon stocks should always be a point of concern and every new season should remind us of how wonderful this resource is and how      important it is to protect it.