-Stavors

VAN SDU Yay

Shell shucked

More to oysters than a quick fix

Deana Lancasier

News Reporter
deana@nsnews.com

UNDERNEATH a sign that
reads “Eat Oysters, love
longer ~- and better!” toils
Chris Fields, otherwise
known as The Oyster Boy.

“They call me Oyster Boy because
I was raised by oysters,” he says.

Actually, he is the pride of
Whistler —- a Canadian champion
among oyster shuckers. If you watch

_ him, it’s not hard to see why.

Holding an oyster in his left hand
he slides his knife into the hinge and
gives it a quick twist. With a pop the
shell comes foase. A slice under the
top shell, another under the bottom
and the adductor muscle is severed.
The oyster is taking its last gasp.

The whole process took seconds.
And now, with a squeeze of lemon,
red wine vinaigrette or jalapeno
vodka, the oyster is ready for con-
sumption.

“This is not as easy as it looks,” he
says. “This is years of practice right
here.”

The demonstration, titled Oysters
101, took piace in Whistler last week-
end for Cornucopia, the mountain’s
food and wine celebration.

Fields wanted to clear up miscon-
ceptions, explain differences and boost his
favorite bi-valve, so he and his employers
at The Crab Shack hosted the seminar.

It was a his.

Fields said oysters have much in com-

Fields.

mon with wine. As with grapes, where and
how oysters are raised and harvested
makes a difference te the end result.

For example, oysters grown by the sus-
pension method are raised in trays above

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NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

OYSTERS should be chewed, not swal-
lowed whole, says The Oyster Boy, Chris

the ocean floor. The shells are sharp-
er, more delicate and more difficult
to open than those of oysters buffet-
ed in surf. Beach grown oysters have
thick shells that are easy to open and
have a strong, salty flavor.

The afternoon favorite was the Royal
Miyagi. These oysters spend the first
half of their life as a pipe-cultured
oyster, Where they grow quickly. At
2.5 inches they are moved to the
beach to gain strength and to harden
their shel]. Because the oyster farm
has a fresh-water stream running
near it, the Royal Miyagis have a very
light, clean flavor.

Oysters are not to be swallowed
whole, said Fields.

“Whenever someone says they cat
them whole T go out of my way to
find them the biggest oyster ] can:
‘Swailow that.” ”

He said because oysters are raw it is
already difficuit for the stomach to
digest them. Chewing helps. And if
you happen to get a bad oyster,
you'll know it when you chew. [fyou
swallow it whole, it may already be
too late before you realize it didn’t
taste right.

“Besides, your mother always told
you co chew your food,” he added.
As for the oyster’s reputation as an
aphrodisiac, Fields said they do con-
tain dopamine, 2 neurotransmitter
that helps to govern brain activity

and influence sexual desire in men and
women. They also contain plenty of vita-
mins, minerals and heart-healthy Omega 3
fatty acids, so pop some open and chew
then down.

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