Date: October 28, 2010

After a few months of playing hard-to-get, Island Creek oysters are back, and we expect a regular supply throughout their peak season of November to April. Harvested and shipped from Duxbury Bay in Massachusetts, these oysters have become one of the favorites of The Fish Market guests.

We visited the Island Creek farm this past March as a side trip from the Boston Seafood Show. A "wicked Nor' easter" (as they would say) was producing flooding rains in the area; and though it made for a bad day for oyster farming, it did give us a chance to talk a lot about oysters. Oyster cultivation, being both science and art, is a hands-on process. For Island Creek, it means the oysters start out growing in a rack and tray system, and then are planted on the bottom of Duxbury Bay for their last year of grow-out. What this produces is an oyster with a nice uniform shape, deep cup and a toughness of shell (from fighting the waves that last year) that locks in its briny liquor. Island Creeks have that classic Atlantic oyster profile - firm, crisp and salty with complex mineral and buttery flavors and a clean finish. As our Island Creek host, Shore Gregory, suggested, all these really need is a light squeeze of lemon for a perfect half-shell experience.

Call The Fish Market restaurant to ask about availability of Island Creek oysters on today's menu. And for good measure, try them with a nice cold lager.