Taste of the Tides

Oysters in Brown Gravy

This recipe was taken from Stirrin' the Pots on Daufuskie, a cookbook compiled by Billie Burn. It's filled with a collection of original and favorite recipes of those who live or once lived on the island, including this one by "Gramma White" who was the Burn family's next door neighbor. It's written here exactly as it is in Mrs. Burn's cookbook. It was explained to us that the recipes are printed exactly as they were given to her by the island residents.

INGREDIENTS 4 to 6 slices bacon 4 to 5 Tbs. flour 1 pint oysters salt and pepper to taste ¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves (optional) 1 medium sized onion, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS Cut up bacon and fry in heavy iron skillet. Add flour and brown as much as desired; if you are using onion, add these with the flour and brown together. Add water, salt, pepper and cook until it is almost as thin a gravy as desired - but still a mite too thick as the oyster liquid will thin gravy some. Add the oysters to gravy and cook only until the edges of oysters begin to curl up. Correct seasoning if necessary and serve with hot cooked rice.

You don't have to buy bushels and host a roast to enjoy the flavor of fresh oysters. Buy a dozen or two from your local seafood market and throw them on the grill for a quick, easy and amazing meal.

Cook them by themselves or with toppings, dip them, or eat them straight from the shell, whatever takes your fancy!

INGREDIENTS Oysters in the shell - it's easier with singles but if you have clusters break off the largest and open them, preserving the largest portion of the shell for cooking. Potential toppings to try: Garlic augratin - garlic butter, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese Spicy queso - diced jalapenos and queso cheese Vidalia - diced vidalia onions, diced bacon, and a slice of white american cheese Buffalo - a dollop of buffalo wing sauce

DIRECTIONS • Prep and light grill. Best if cooked over charcoal, but a gas grill will work too • Prep oysters by laying the shells out on a baking pan and adding the toppings of your choice • When the grill is hot, use tongs to gently place the oysters directly on the grill rack, being careful not to spill the toppings • Close the lid (venting properly to keep the fire going) and allow the oysters to smoke a bit • Keep a close eye, it just takes a few minutes for the shells to heat through and the oysters to cook • Return to baking sheet, again being careful not to spill. (You can cover the bottom of the pan with half an inch of uncooked rice to rest the shells on so they sit level in the pan and don't spill.) • Enjoy alone or eat with crackers and your choice of dipping sauces!

Looking for other oyster ideas? Look up recipes for these: • Oyster Stew • Fried oyster hoagies • Fried buffalo oysters • Oysters Rockefeller • Oyster stuffing • Oyster Bacon Pot Pie (Southern Living recipe) • Oyster Pie (see last year's oyster issue) • Oyster casserole Or just eat 'em raw with a dollop of cocktail sauce or splash of mignonette!