The Oyster Roast
Late fall/winter season in South Carolina means oyster season. The general rule is that you eat oysters in months ending in “er,” but that rule doesn’t fully apply here. The weather has to be cold enough to produce a good oyster. You don’t want to eat a hot weather oyster. Brittany and I (April) had been wanting to have an oyster roast for over a year, but the first year we tried, we couldn’t even buy oysters overpriced. The weather had been tough that year and the harvest was small. This year we had colder temperatures and fewer storms, so January was an acceptable … nay, fantastic time for us to get oysters. If you’re not used to partying with the polarizing bivalves, here are some tips to make your party feel like an evening in the low country. And if you’re very inland, like, say Kansas, maybe oysters aren’t such a good idea, however, you can substitute foods and still have a great party. I’ll give some notes to that along the way too.
1. Getting the oysters
A good oyster roast starts with a good oyster. We went with some single select oysters, which were wonderful. We’ve had the oyster clusters as well, but the clusters are muddier and more of a challenge to open and eat. With your singles, they come cleaner (though you’ll still want to rinse them) and easier to open because you have one big oyster at a time. Though Columbia, where we live, is inland, we have some decent seafood suppliers. However, if you can get closer to the coast and buy, that’s preferable. This event had us traveling the morning of our party about an hour out to St. George, which is not coastal, but is closer to the coast than we are, the the Piggly Wiggly where Brittany “knows a guy.” We called ahead and got two 30 lb boxes of single select oysters. Man were we pumped when we saw how nice they looked.
2. Testing equipment
Even though we call it an oyster “roast,” the oysters are often steamed instead of literally roasted. We’ll get to that later. Whether you’re setting up your steamer or getting your grill ready, you need to check and test whatever cooking equipment that you’ll be using beforehand. I used a large pot on a propane burner. For those, you need to make sure that you have plenty of propane and those burners can get finicky. We ran a test earlier in the day and I was glad that I did because I had to troubleshoot a few problems with the burner and make adjustments to get it to work. It was way better to run into issues earlier in the day than run into issues once hungry guests have arrived.
3. Methods of cooking oysters
Speaking of equipment, this leads me to the method(s) with which you want to cook your oysters. I like to boil/steam them using my large propane burner because it only takes 4-5 minutes to cook a sizable batch. Similarly, you can steam them over a fire by laying them over a flattop and covering them with a burlap sack that has been soaked in water. You can also shuck them and put them on the grill on the half shell. For our last event, we took a few of the oysters, put them on the grill, and cooked them in some compound butter. Go here for Brittany’s compound butter recipe. No matter how you cook them, they don’t take long. You can also eat them raw, just make sure that you get a good quality one for eating raw.
4. Having food for non oyster eaters
Inevitably, you will have guests who don’t eat oysters. It’s understandable. Oysters look funny, they have a texture that some people don’t like, some are allergic, and some have religious boundaries. Consider it more for you and give your guests some other options! One of my favorite dishes to serve in the fall/winter seasons along with oysters is Chicken Bog. I also like to have some BBQ (if you’re in South Carolina, that means pulled pork) on hand. Another common option is Low Country Boil, also known as Beaufort Stew, also known as Frogmore Stew, depending on where you’re from. It’s a combination of shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn, cooked and seasoned together. It’s usually dumped out on a table and everyone has at it. Another easy option is chili. Your non oyster eaters and oyster eaters alike will enjoy having some of these options.
5. Cooking ahead
For your sanity and enjoyment, get as much cooked ahead of time as possible. The food for non oyster eaters (unless you’re doing a Low Country Boil too) should be simple enough that you can prepare it ahead of time and either keep warm or reheat. Chicken Bog can be made the night before. Put it in a pan and pour some chicken broth over it, cover, and stick in the oven at a low temperature to reheat. BBQ can be made ahead of time and reheated easily, or better yet, just order a few pounds of pulled pork from a local place. Chili can obviously be kept in the pot all day and even served right from a crockpot.
The oysters should be your biggest concern the day of your party. Rinse and clean them earlier in the day and an hour or so before guests arrive, start cooking them. Have a few disposable coolers available to store the cooked oysters. I had a few styrofoam coolers left from some food shipments, so it was perfect. The oysters stayed hot and we could continually supply guests without a wait. I had most of the oysters ready in coolers by the time guests arrived, so it allowed me to actually enjoy the party some instead of working like a catering staff the whole time.
6. Setting up stations
You’ll want to have several tables where your guests can stand and shuck oysters. I like to lay down some cardboard and/or some butcher paper, brown paper, or newspaper on the tables so clean up is easier. You’ll also want some areas for guests to sit and eat, particularly if they are not eating oysters. Since we had our last party in a pandemic, we set oyster tables spaced out apart throughout the backyard. Normally, we would have put the tables all together in a long line. You’ll want to have stacks of towels/rags for everyone as they are shucking oysters. It gets juicy. It’s also helpful for some folks to hold the oyster in the towel while shucking to avoid cutting their hands. Encourage guests to bring their own shuckers, but put some extras out if possible. Butter knives can also work (though not as well) if you’re in a pinch. Have some buckets or heavy duty trash bags nearby for people to discard their oyster shells. Set out condiments, saltine crackers, and bowls or little condiment cups for guests to use.
7. Condiments
Speaking of condiments, here are some favorites. Cocktail sauce is always good. Melted butter is a luxurious option for your guests. I like to have some lemon wedges to squeeze onto the oysters too. And then hot sauce is a must. Here’s a list of some of my favorite hot sauces. Be sure to put out some saltines for those who like something to counterbalance the texture of the oyster.
8. Ambiance
To do a proper Southern oyster roast, you don’t have to have the fanciest things, you just need to be warm and inviting. I like to have a fire pit going and to bring out some s’mores later on. String lights are a staple in my yard. It’s an easy way to make things feel a little magical. Keep the coolers full and create spaces that make it easy for everyone to interact. And don’t be afraid to give your guests some small tasks to help out either. When you’re hanging out with friends and family, most of them are happy to help you move something, take a turn at the grill or monitoring the boil, or replenishing food or drinks. If everyone has a part, then everyone will feel like they are a part of the family. It’s not about perfection, but about spending quality time with the ones that you love, making warm memories along the way.
