The Pacific Northwest is a mecca for recent seafood. Scrumptious salmon, Dungeness crab, clams, oysters, and extra can all be discovered within the chilly waters of Puget Sound, and fortunate for us, usually make their means onto menus throughout Seattle.
Whereas seafood is often considered one of my first picks when consuming out, oysters specifically have solely lately grow to be an curiosity. At eating places, you’ll usually see them served on the half shell in a mattress of ice on a wonderful platter, surrounded by tasty accompaniments corresponding to lemon, champagne mignonette, and chives. The presentation alone is sufficient to make you wish to attempt them!
Consuming oysters in a restaurant is one factor, however having the ability to harvest them and eat them proper on the water’s edge is a totally totally different and distinctive expertise. That’s the place Savor the Wild Excursions is available in. Their Oysters & Clam ShinDIG + Tide to Desk Feast is an expertise that takes you proper to the supply and leaves you spoiled with a number of the freshest native seafood. Because the primary producer of shellfish within the nation, Washington state is the right place for the sort of journey.
Learn on for highlights from my group outing with Savor the Wild Excursions. Proprietor Angela Shen and her crew pulled out all of the stops to make it a special occasion!
Oysters & Clam ShinDIG + Tide to Desk Feast
Our afternoon tour occurred alongside the glimmering shores of Hood Canal at Triton Cove State Park, a few 2.5-hour drive from downtown Seattle. Scenic views make up for the lengthier drive time, particularly should you select the route that requires a visit on a Washington State Ferry (an journey in and of itself!). Professional tip: state parks require a Uncover Cross parking allow. Be taught extra right here.
Upon arrival to the park, the group was greeted with a wonderful show of charcuterie, shucked oysters from Hamma Hamma, and a glowing wine pairing from Syncline Vineyard that went completely with the bites. It was an important alternative to absorb the surroundings and study extra about what we have been going to be doing for the afternoon. Enjoyable truth: should you’ve by no means eaten an oyster earlier than, don’t fear! Angela will present you her ideas and tips on the right way to slurp one down with ease.
After spending a while mingling, the group was able to study oyster 101, together with the right way to shuck them ourselves. Angela shared quite a lot of attention-grabbing details in regards to the space and why the delicate climate within the area and chilly waters of Puget Sound make it the right place for oysters and different shellfish to thrive. Given the time of yr, our fundamental focus was oysters throughout this tour.
Following our fast academic session, we have been able to learn to shuck. Savor the Wild offered all the things we would have liked which included a pair of cut-proof gloves, a towel, a shucking knife, and a further layer of gloves to maintain our palms dry. Angela broke the method down into straightforward to know steps, and we have been all shucking very quickly! The perfect half? You get to eat the oysters as you go! Armed with our new abilities and information, the group was able to hit the seaside to seek out our personal oysters.
We made our means all the way down to Triton Cove Tidelands—a seaside that was an oyster farm. Savor the Wild offered every of us with the instruments we would have liked, together with a bucket for gathering. Rubber boots are extremely really helpful to maintain your ft heat and dry as you stroll the shore (Savor the Wild has them accessible for hire should you don’t have any!). It didn’t take lengthy earlier than the rocks underneath our ft turned to fields of oysters, however we opted to get nearer to the water to verify we have been discovering those that had been uncovered for the least period of time. Looking for the oysters felt like a Pacific Northwest egg hunt and discovering them myself felt like placing gold as I delicately positioned every one in my bucket.
As soon as we had collected our oysters, it was time to eat them—proper there on the seaside! We used our buckets as stools and shucked away with beautiful Hood Canal, evergreen timber, and a hovering eagle as our backdrop. Placing within the work to seek out the oysters and shuck them myself made them style even higher. Angela and her crew even introduced down lemon wedges for us to spritz the shellfish with earlier than indulging. After having fun with every oyster one after the other, all of us had enjoyable tossing the shells over our shoulders, again onto the seaside. Professional tip: it’s necessary to depart the shells on the seaside to assist new oysters as they develop!
We wrapped up our shinDIG, and now it was time for the feast!
Again within the park the place our tour started, we loved one other glass of wine whereas a wonderful meal was ready for us by Angela and her crew. The odor of butter and garlic made my mouth water as I patiently waited for our first course: manila clams. They melted in my mouth as I shortly made a small tower with the discarded shells. Up subsequent was salmon. It was ready completely and was paired with a vibrant, refreshing salad. I believe everybody within the group had clear plates! With every course, we had a brand new wine pairing (an affordable additional cost that’s so price it!). The meal ended with a lemon cream parfait dessert that had recent blackberries and a graham cracker topping. It was the right candy finale to our incredible expertise.
From the shucked oysters to the tide to desk feast, the meals was recent and fulfilling. Consuming a meal so near the supply created a magical expertise that I haven’t had anyplace else. It made me proud to be from the Pacific Northwest the place this delicacies is a part of our every day lives, and in addition actually excited to share it with others.
Savor the Wild Excursions affords the Oyster & Clam ShinDIG + Tide to Desk Feast combo and Oyster & Clam ShinDIG by itself from March-Might. These occasions happen on Hood Canal, however the actual location is dictated by the tide schedule and the place the Division of Fish and Wildlife permit shellfish harvesting. Spots refill far prematurely, so don’t miss out on reserving your house in one of many subsequent excursions!
Go to savorthewildtours.com and comply with @savorthewildtours to study extra.
