The World is My Oyster

Where Meroir meets TerroirFrom the perspective of a Maitre Ecailler (shellfish specialist), America is an oyster nirvana. There are over 200 kinds of oysters in America that are currently available. Some are truly exceptional, and range among the best oysters that you can find anywhere in the world.I am introducing the notion of meroir, "a sense of the sea," which is used in France to denote the special characteristics the marine geography bestows upon the oysters of a specific location. This concept is similar to the term terroir applied to wine and where grapes are grown.With the oysters proclivity to live by the shore, bay, estuary or river mouth - they embed like no other the characteristics of those places where the land meets the sea.Christophe HappillonThe Oyster GourmetMaster Ecailler

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Oysters

Oyster Regions

California's Oysters

It was only a few years ago that people began to hear about California's Oysters. This was a secret that had been reserved for a few beach communities along California's senic coastline. When we begin to examine the diversity of topography and the size of California's coastline, it does seem odd that nothing was being produced out of this very diverse state. As we begin to look at the California coastline with its Mediterranean climate and Desert tendancies, we see the bountiful palm trees flourishing along the coast especially in Southern California. With the flow of the Pacific Ocean, water directly from Alaska keeps the coastline fairly cold all year round.. The California water is also very rich in nutrients due to the Pacific Gyre, the California Current and the winds that create an upwelling of cold and very rich water along the cost of Oregon, California, and Baja California which make this stretch of coast one of the most productive in the world. This nutrient rich water creates a good environment to grow oysters if the right technique is applied. California, with the exception of San Francisco Bay, is almost devoid of Bays that will support oyster growing. As a beach culture, the main technique that is used to grow them is a technique that originates from Japan: - the suspension or lantern culture, and when the right bottom culture conditions are available the technique known as rack and bag culture is used. The Golden State is known as a dry state, not for the lack of booze but for the low level of rain, this produces oysters that are slightly more briney than other oysters. When introducing the notion of Meroir, It makes sense to include the oysters from Baja California as well. The fact is that the geological formation of Baja California is directly linked to the geology of California, in fact the Sea of Cortez that separates the Baja California Peninsula from main land Mexico is just an extension of the San Andreas fault that crosses perpendicular to the state of California, The San Andreas Fault is a major contributing factor to the makeup of the state of California.

Where to Buy

Meet Up With Christophe

Tuesdays | Church & State Bistro 6pm - 10pm 1850 Industrial Street Los Angeles, CA 90021 (213) 405-1434Wednesdays | Santa Monica Farmers Market 8:30am 1:30pm Arizona Avenue (between 4th & Ocean) Perch Restaurant 7pm-10pm 448 South Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 802-1770 The Wood 6pm - 8pm 12000 West Washington Blvd Los Angeles,, CA 90066 (310) 915-9663Thursdays | Johnathan Beach Club 6pm - 8:30pm 850 Palisades Beach Rd Santa Monica, CA 90403 (310) 393-9245Fridays | Joe's Restaurant 6pm - 10pm 1023 Abbot Kinney Boulevard Venice, CA 90291 (310) 399-5811 Vertical Wine Bistro 6pm - 10pm 70 North Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91103 (626) 795-3999Saturdays | Santa Monica Farmers Market 8:30am - 1pm Arizona Avenue (between 4th & Ocean) Sundays | Santa Monica Farmers Market 9:30am-1pm 2640 Main Street (in Heritage Square)Christophe and the Oyster Gourmet team are available for private dinners and events. Please contact us for more information.

Becoming an Ecailler

What is an Ecailler

Fresh oysters must be alive just before consumption or cooking. There is only one criterion: the oyster must be capable of tightly closing its shell. Open oysters should be tapped on the shell; a live oyster will close up and is safe to eat. Oysters which are open and unresponsive are dead and must be discarded. Some dead oysters, or oyster shells which are full of sand may be closed. These make a distinctive noise when tapped, and are known as clackers.Opening oysters requires skill. The preferred method is to use a special knife (called an oyster knife, a variant of a shucking knife), with a short and thick blade about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) long.Insert the blade, with moderate force and vibration if necessary, at the hinge between the two valves. Then twist the blade until there is a slight pop. Then slide the blade upward to cut the adductor muscle which holds the shell closed. Inexperienced shuckers can apply too much force, which can result in injury if the blade slips. Heavy gloves are necessary: apart from the knife, the shell itself can be razor sharp. Professional shuckers require less than 3 seconds to do the deed.If the oyster has a particularly soft shell, the knife can be inserted instead in the sidedoor, about halfway along one side where the oyster lips widen and there is a slight indentation.Quite simply, an Ecailler means to open an oyster or shellfish. A Master Ecailler, such as Christophe, provides the customer the assurance they getting oysters that are the freshest and are of the highest quality .

Oyster Regions
Where to Buy
Becoming an Ecailler

In the early 19th century, oysters were cheap and mainly eaten by the working class. Throughout the 19th century, oyster beds in New York harbor became the largest source of oysters worldwide. On any day in the late 19th century, six million oysters could be found on barges tied up along the citys waterfront. Oysters were naturally quite popular in New York City, and helped initiate the citys restaurant trade.[10] New York's oystermen became skilled cultivators of their beds, which provided employment for hundreds of workers and nutritious food for thousands. Eventually, rising demand exhausted many of the beds. To increase production, they introduced foreign species, which brought disease, when combined with effluent and increasing sedimentation from erosion, which destroyed most of the beds by the early 20th century. Oysters popularity has put an ever-increasing demands on wild oyster stocks.[11] This scarcity increased prices, converting them from their original role as working class food to their current status as an expensive delicacy.
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Oysters, especially 'wild', are excellent sources of several minerals, including iron, zinc and selenium, which are often low in the modern diet. They are also an excellent source of Vitamin B12. Oysters are considered the healthiest when eaten raw on the half shell. Traditionally, oysters were considered to be an aphrodisiac. A team of American and Italian researchers analyzed bivalves and found they were rich in amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones. Their high zinc content aids the production of testosterone.
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Oyster Gourmet Sightings

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Oyster Gourmet Sightings
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Sightings

Oyster Gourmet Sightings around Los Angesles.December 2010Soho HouseHillcrest Country ClubNovember 2010Disney Concert Hall - Patina GroupKendall Brasserie - Patina GroupOctober 2010The EdisonAugust Milk Studio
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Email : christophe_oystergourmet.com

Cell : 310-570-0682

Oyster Gourmet

3623 Clarington Ave, Suite 4

Los Angeles, CA 90034

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