It looks like Ike is headed to Texas, which is kinda good because Miss G ain't there! She's in Louisiana, and thankfully it appears they will be spared another ravaging storm! NOLA looks good, and by this point the city is totally up and running. Miss G is in Jefferson Parish, just west of NOLA, but things are pretty much back to normal here as well. Today Miss G made the hour drive west to Baton Rouge and things that way not as bueno. It was clear as she drove across the swamps and wetland forest that some really bad winds had been through. Lots and lots of blown over trees, but along the freeway is not populated. But Miss G could not help but think of all the folk who live between I-10 and the Gulf, which would have borne the brunt of the storm. By the time she made it to Baton Rouge, she began to see the blue tarps covering the roofs of houses, adn she realized that this storm, though nothing liek Katrina, truly devastated the homes and lives of those along it's path. About 50% of the greater Baton Rouge area was still without power, mostly in the outer neighborhoods and more rural areas that comprise a lot of the region. Entergy, the local power company, has built a tent city in the mall parking lot right outside of Miss G's Baton Rouge store, which is where the crews report each morning to get their marching orders and pick up supplies for the day's projects. A pretty impressive operation, really.
So as Miss G returned to Metairie for the evening, the dinner threesome turned into a foursome which grew into an 8-some as more and more of the regional team arrived in town to prep for the opening. Lucky for us, even Big Momma showed up, and since she has the big cheese expense account we went to Drago's over on Arnolt.
Drago's is a Metairie institution (yes, they actually have one!) and is so well reknowned that they have opened a second location in Downtown New Orleans at the big Hilton on the river. They are famous for the charbroiled oysters
For over 100 years, some of the best oyster fishermen in Louisiana have been of Croatian origin. Many Croatians came to Louisiana and have been at the forefront of the oyster business; it's gotten to the point where if someone's serving you oysters and their surname ends with "-vich", you know you're in good hands.Drago Cvitanovich has had an excellent restasurant in Metairie for years, and it's one of my parents' very favorite places to eat. Drago is famous for his Charbroiled Oysters, and recently shared his recipe with a local newspaper. The recipe is simple -- there's almost nothing to it -- but the key to it is getting the prettiest, fattest oysters you can find. Louisiana oysters are, or course, preferable, but Pacific oysters will also do very well. Shuck 'em yourself, too.
Heat the grill over medium-high heat.
- 32 oysters, on the half shell
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use Parmagiano Reggiano)
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
Melt the butter with the garlic and pepper in a large skillet. Mix the Parmagiano and Romano cheeses in a small bowl.
Spoon some of the melted butter mixture onto each oyster. Add a pinch of the combined cheeses to each oyster, add a pinch of parsley, then place on the grill. Grill the oysters until they are hot,bubbly and puffed, about 8 minutes.
YIELD: 8 servings.
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search this siteThey were lip-smackin' good! I think they would probably be best cooked on a charcoal grill as opposed to a gas grill, but I'll let you know when I have a chance to try it. Meanwhile, the place is like 2 minutes from the hotel so Miss G will be back!
4 comments:
Oh man, I am salivating! I've had oysters several ways, but never charbroiled. Yummm! I'll keep Drago's in mind for our next trip.
I'm a microbiologist (retired), so for years and years, I would never even consider eating sushi or raw oysters. When Ken and I went to New Orleans on our (delayed) honeymoon trip, he got me to try a raw oyster at the Crescent City Brewhouse. I LOVED it! Now whenever we go to a coastal city, we have to get some raw oysters. To heck with food poisoning...those babies are just too good to pass up. I like 'em best on a Saltine with a little cocktail sauce and a tiny bit of horseradish. (Ken loads up on the horseradish!)
Oh, and I tried sushi when we were in San Francisco! Not as good as oysters, but still good! Do you know when we had oysters in SF, I asked for Saltines...and they had none?! Sacrilege!
I hope the folks in Baton Rouge are back up and running soon. It sounds like they got hit hardest of all, but it's good to hear reports from you that folks are on the case and working hard to restore power.
Hugs, Beth
Oh, stop, I love Oysters! I am wanting these NOW! Dannelle
We love the oysters, either on the half shell, or Rockafeller :o) I have had them on the grill, and they will open enough to easily open if you cook them right.
Check out the website www.rawoysteralert.com. I was shocked to learn that several individuals die each year from the consumption of raw oysters that are contaminated with naturally occurring Vibrio bacteria. Some gulf states have chosen to not take action in order to make raw oysters safe for ALL consumers.
Several years ago, the state of California made a requirement that all imported raw oysters must be pasteurized and since that requirement was put into place there have been NO FURTHER DEATHS in that state.
In order to affect change, consumers need to only accept oysters that are SAFE through post harvest processing or through being cooked. Consumer demand drives the market and the industry would be forced to provide oysters that did not lead to unnecessary deaths.
The website www.rawoysteralert.com has a wealth of information available and also explains how you can help in making the consumption of oysters safe for everyone.
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