Oysters – “You either like them or are grossed out by them,” says chef Adam Kucenic, who opened Pittsburgh’s Muddy Waters Oyster Bar with his wife, Diane, in 2015.

Both sweet and savory recipes for oysters were mentioned in the 14th century English cookbook “The Forme of Cury,” according to officials in Barnstable County, which landed over 31.6 million oysters in 2021. By the mid-1600s, the Europeans who colonized the New World enjoyed the protein-rich seafood as a key part of their diet.

In colonial times, oysters harvested from the Chesapeake Bay rarely made it further than they could be transported in a day because their meat spoils very quickly once it’s out of its shell.

After the Civil War, advancements in food preservation and transportation — including better railroads, the introduction of refrigeration and improvements in canning — transformed the oyster industry, making it possible for them to be shipped far beyond the bay area to the Midwest.

Since they were both cheap (half the price of beef in 1909) and abundant, oysters were easy to find at the many oyster bars, cellars and lunchrooms that popped up in every city. During the great “oyster craze” of the late 1800s, they were so popular that the average New Yorker ate an average of 600 oysters per year, compared to less than three today for the average American.

“They were almost like chicken wings back then,” says Kucenic.

It all came crashing down in the 1900s thanks to a combination of overharvesting; pollution; the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, which required more stringent regulations for hygienic handling, packing, and shipping of food items; and bad press that tied improperly handled oysters to typhoid outbreaks.

Today, thanks to restoration efforts and advanced oyster farming techniques, there are aquaculture farms up and down the East Coast shoreline.

Started in 2001 with a $1,000 grant as a way to extend Cape Cod’s “shoulder season,” the annual Wellfleet OysterFest now draws close to 20,000 oyster lovers from across the U.S. and globe on the weekend following Columbus Day. It takes a year to plan.

Two decades later, it’s grown into a favorite holiday for visitors, who slurp some 50,000 raw and cooked oysters over the course of two days.

Wellfleet is known for its superior shellfish because its waters feature a strong tidal flow and level of salinity.

One important note: The old wives’ tale that oysters should be eaten only in months ending in “R” — which originated before refrigeration made it safe to transport them — no longer applies.

Today, oysters are farmed year-round, including in summer, when water is warmer.

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Fried Oysters

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper

6 shucked, meaty oysters

1 large egg, well beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Vegetable oil or shortening, for frying

For tartar sauce

1 garlic clove, finely minced

Kosher salt

2 small shallots, minced

1 teaspoon capers, minced

4 cornichons, minced, or 1/3 cup minced dill pickle

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Duke’s)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Dash of hot sauce

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional

Sliced lemon, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Prepare oysters: Season flour with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Dredge each oyster in the flour, dip in the beaten egg, then roll in the panko to evenly coat. Set aside on a baking sheet for a few minutes to dry and set; if not frying right away, place in refrigerator until you’re ready cook.

Make tartar sauce: Mix minced garlic with a pinch of salt until sticky and pasty and place in small bowl. Add shallots, capers, minced pickles and toss to combine.

Stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice and a dash of hot sauce and stir well. Add chopped parsley and season to taste with salt.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fry the oysters: Melt enough oil or shortening in a deep medium skillet over medium heat until hot. It will be ready for frying oysters when a few crumbs of panko or the tip of a wooden chopstick sizzles actively in the fat.

Add oysters, working in batches as you have room. Fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes, depending on size.

Remove with a slotted spoon or spider, and let rest on a clean rack while you fry the rest. Season each batch with a little salt while still piping hot, as soon as you pull them from the fat. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon slices. Serves 2-3.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

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Muddy Waters Oyster Bar Char-Grilled Oysters

DIRECTIONS

1 dozen fresh oysters, shucked (with the flat side up)

1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Lemon wedges for serving

French bread for serving

DIRECTIONS

Heat your grill to medium high.

Shuck the oysters, ensuring they remain in their bottom shell and that none of the liquid spills out.

In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and black pepper. Stir well to combine.

Spoon a generous amount of the garlic butter mixture onto each oyster, then top each one with Parmesan cheese.

Place oysters directly on the grill grates (as flat as possible) and grill for 5-7 minutes, or until the butter is bubbling, the cheese is melted and the edges of the oyster start to curl.

Remove the oysters from the grill and drizzle with any leftover butter mixture.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges and crusty bread. Makes 12 oysters.

Cook’s note: Place the oysters as flat as possible on the grates to avoid flareups (if tilted, the melted butter will drip onto the coals) and have a pair of tongs or grill gloves at the ready to remove them when they’re done — the shells will be very hot!
— Adam Kucenic, Muddy Waters Oyster Bar

This simple spin on oysters Rockefeller comes from Tom, a customer at the Wellfleet Shellfishermen’s Farmers Market. He recommends using maple or apple smoked bacon so it doesn’t overpower the flavor of the oysters.

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Oysters Tomafella

INGREDIENTS

6 oysters on the half shell

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 medium sweet onion, diced

Handful of fresh spinach, chopped

Grated pecorino Romano cheese

2 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch strips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with a 1/4 -inch layer of kosher or rock salt.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the oysters on the baking sheet.

Melt butter in a saute pan, then add onions and cook until translucent. Add chopped spinach, mix thoroughly and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Place a spoonful of the spinach-onion mixture on each oyster.

Sprinkle some grated cheese on top of each one and top with a couple strips of bacon,

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bacon is crispy. Serve straight from the oven. Serves 2 as an appetizer.

— adapted from “Taste of Wellfleet: Celebrating the Food & Arts of Our Community” (Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 2021)

Tribune News Service

Oysters are incredible when breaded and fried and served with a tangy tartar sauce. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)
This Wellfleet twist on Oysters Rockefeller features fresh spinach and grated Pecorino-Romano cheese. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)