Mississippi’s off-bottom aquaculture brings oysters fresh from sea to table

Captain Mike Arguelles met me at the docks in Biloxi, Mississippi. His scruffy beard and happy eyes said it all: This is a practical, get-the-job-done oyster farmer who delights in telling funny tales. Arguelles had agreed to take me on his boat for the day to harvest 900 oysters for a local restaurant.

We set across the Mississippi Sound, the sky gray and threatening rain, the water choppy. This wasn’t a leisurely cruise; the pace was clipped, and Arguelles meant business.

Good thing, as business was booming. Previous oyster aquaculture had waned in the wake of natural disasters and other calamities, but due to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’ RESTORE Act, which taught potential oyster farmers the ins and outs of off-bottom oyster aquaculture, things were picking up. Since the reefs were damaged, the RESTORE Act educated interested participants in oyster cultivation using cages.

Along with his wife, Anita, Arguelles created the French Hermit Oyster Co.

We arrived at Arguelles’ plot in the waters of Deer Island. As the boat gently rocked against the waves, Arguelles’ helper began pulling up the cages. The brown, slimy cages were then power sprayed to remove the muck, which flew into my face and hair. Once cleaned, the oysters were dumped onto a table and hand-picked to fill the bags for the restaurant order.

Mississippi oysters

When asked his favorite way to eat oysters, Arguelles quickly replied, “Raw. Always.”

On our trip, he opened a few oysters, fresh from the murky waters. He taught me to place my mouth around the shell and slurp. The oyster slid into my mouth along with the seawater, warm and salty.

The method for shucking oysters that he uses is the “Biloxi way,” he said.

“When you open the oyster, it has an eye, which is the muscle that’s attached to both shells. The bottom is attached to the top, and you cut that loose to pry it open.

“I’ll open one for you the old Biloxi way:  A pointed knife comes in and from the bill, whereas most of the modern chefs use a different kind of knife and pop the hinge instead. I can’t do it that way, but I like it this way for a couple of reasons. When you open the oysters, you have to cut that eye loose on one side before you can pry it open and then cut it loose from the other side so you can take the top off. If you’re not careful about where you enter with your knife, it’s not good. I see this so much — even in cooking magazines, they think speed is best, but it’s really important to not cut the oyster because it’s still living, and it’s still a unit.”

Cutting it this way also allows the diner to eat the oyster from the wider bottom half and enjoy the “liquor” that Arguelles said is a key part of the experience.

The taste was the freshest I’ve encountered, flavored by the sweet waters of the Mississippi Sound.

Even though Arguelles’ favorite method is to eat them raw, Anita said her oyster soup recipe is always a treat for special occasions.

Anita’s oyster soup

Serves four

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 24 fresh-shucked oysters
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons chili oil
• The juices (liquor) from the oysters
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Salt to taste

1. Add the olive oil to a large pot and sweat the yellow onions, stirring until they’re soft.
2. Add the green onion and the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the oysters.
3. Cook the oysters until done, then add the spinach, garlic, thyme and chili oil.
4. Cook until the spinach turns soft, then add the oyster juice, whipping cream, milk and white pepper.
5. Cook on low for 10 minutes. Salt to taste and serve.

This story comes from Jill Dutton’s syndicated column, “Global Plates: The People We Meet, The Food They Eat.” It was originally published on the website Global Journeys with Jill Dutton.