December 14, 2013
What to do on a cold, rainy, Saturday afternoon when you can’t be in Beaufort enjoying the deals at Front Street Grill’s last day of the 2013 season?
Seems like the perfect time to test drive my new Carolina Shuckers’ oyster knife.
The new knife along side some Chadwick Creek oysters from Locals Seafood
A few weeks ago I finally purchased the Carolina Shuckers’ Ole Big Boy oyster knife that I had had my eye on for some time. Until today I hadn’t had the chance to put it to work other than as a bottle opener:
Preparing to rip the top off a Corona Light!
…a task the knife handles with ease. It has become my new favorite bottle opener!
As we’ve said in the past both here and here, eating fresh North Carolina seafood is one of the best ways to Bring Home Beaufort.
Cracking open some North Carolina oysters with a North Carolina-made piece of art like a Carolina Shuckers’ oyster knife definitely fits the Bringing Home standard!
This morning, I took a quick trip east to the Chapel Hill Farmer’s Market to visit Locals Seafood and pick up some Chadwick Creek oysters, and some clams from a supplier in Swansboro.
As many of you know, we run a small travel agency, Southern Girl Travel. For SGT, we recently made a trip down to Walt Disney World. While we were there and visiting Epcot’s La Cava del Tequila, I discovered a new love for Sangrita, a tequila/mezcal chaser.
I enjoyed it so much, I tracked down the recipe and made up a few batches at home.
Enjoying some Sangrita, Tequila, Guacamole and Chips!
Oyster shooters are always a great way to enjoy fresh oysters, and on my short trip to Chapel Hill it dawned on me that Sangrita might just make a great mixer for an oyster shooter.
It did!
The makings of a Bringing Home Beaufort oyster shooter: clean shot glass, knife, oysters, Sangrita, Stoli!
A freshly shucked oyster waiting for some Sangrita and Stoli!
The knife worked perfectly. For someone who never gave much thought to oyster knives, I was blown away. Plant the tip firm, twist your wrist a bit, and the oyster is shucked. A world beyond a normal oyster knife, not to mention a screwdriver – which we’ve been known to use in the past.
A perfect oyster shooter ready to go!
In the spirit of Sangrita, we also gave it a try with Mezcal. Good, but the smokiness of the Mezcal was a bit much for the oyster. Stick with vodka. A virgin oyster shooter with just an oyster and the Sangrita is excellent as well.
With a little over a week until Christmas, we have to recommend an oyster knife from Carolina Shuckers as a great gift in the spirit of Bringing Home Beaufort.
You can pick one up in Beaufort at Island Traders.
You can also order directly from Carolina Shuckers – they ship QUICKLY, and I’ll bet you can still bag one before Christmas!
A fresh batch of Sangrita in a mason jar with a red ribbon might make a nice gift, too.
Check out Southern Girl Travel for the recipe!
And don’t forget to:
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