Modern refrigeration has eliminated certain seasonal prohibitions on oysters, but they remain a staple of cold month cuisine.
Every Thanksgiving, my mom makes two pans of dressing. One with oysters and the other without. While that warm and comforting dish signals the Holliday season to me, oysters can still be consumed as God intended them, right out of their shell.
The Half Shell Oyster House opened in September and offers a proprietary oyster, the Southern Pearl, harvested by the Deer Island Oyster Company in Biloxi.
The Southern Pearl is known for its rich and buttery flavor and smooth texture. Oysters are shucked fresh throughout the day to ensure the freshest and highest-quality eating experience.
There is some magic to a tray of six shining, fresh-shucked oysters sitting on a tray of ice. There really is no better way to start a meal. Each mollusk was alive moments before when an expert shucker pried open the shell and sat it on ice.
Please don’t let the little guy die in vain. There is a ritual to consuming an oyster. They can be prepared with a squeeze of lemon juice or a dash of hot sauce. They can be pile onto a cracker and layered with horseradish and cocktail sauce. To start a meal I recommend a pairing of an aperitif, maybe some white wine or pour of gin, either chilled in a shot glass or poured over ice.
Either way, there is no better way to prepare for a meal than the briny flavor bomb of an oyster combined with a bracingly cold sip to wash it down. It excites the palate and wakes up the senses like a New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge.
What comes next is up to you and at the Half Shell that is an exciting array of possibilities. On a cold day, you can go for the comforting crawfish, crab and corn bisque or a hearty bowl of seafood gumbo. Follow that up with their steak sandwich, the Uptowner. Maybe you are in the mood for seafood?
You can't go wrong with the Royal Redfish, a bronzed redfish served over a bed of grilled asparagus and Cajun boiled potato cake, topped with Royal Red shrimp sautéed in a white wine cream sauce and topped with parmesan cheese.
If you are fortunate enough to be there on a Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. you will have an inviting plate of Bananas Foster French Toast, Crab Cakes Half Shell, Shrimp and Grit Benedict and the Eggs Benedict. I don’t care how many are at your table, go ahead and order all four.
The Half Shell Oyster House is located at 100 Merchant Street in Madison and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and open an hour later on Friday and Saturday. Visit halfshelloysterhouse.com.
