The office is throwing a party and I offered to bring some oysters for roasting. My issue is how to roast oysters without a pit, since the party will not be at my house. Has anyone tried using a 55gal fire barrel? Or does anyone have a good portable alternative?
Big pot with steamer basket and propane burner.Duncan’s hardware has a nice one.
quote:
Originally posted by smanBig pot with steamer basket and propane burner.Duncan’s hardware has a nice one.
This^^^ I like to sprinkle a good portion of old bay over em as well.
push comes to shove you can also use your 2-piece crab steamer…just will have smaller batches…
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I like that smokey flavor from a traditional oyster roast, but I guess if nothing else, that’ll have to work.
Just build a big a$$ fire and do it right,they’ll get over it.Trust me,you’ll gain respect and move up.
I’ve built a fire in an old dryer barrel and roasted them over that and it works great.
So…
- Take barrel from your wife’s dryer
- Roast them oysters
- Re-install the barrel at the end of the night.
She’ll never know.
A little off topic but what does a bushel usually cost?
Beautiful, all my problems are solved. 
quote:
Originally posted by Moral KioskI’ve built a fire in an old dryer barrel and roasted them over that and it works great.
So…
- Take barrel from your wife’s dryer
- Roast them oysters
- Re-install the barrel at the end of the night.
She’ll never know.
The pot and basket method works well. Remember to just us a little bit of water and not let it run dry. Also prop basket up off of the bottom with a brick or something to keep water out of oysters.
Can do in oven on a cookie sheet (this is how I grew up eating small batches with my dad)
Can do in grill on a cookie sheet (I do King crab legs like this too…don’t forget they’re cooked already)
Fire with a flat piece of steel and a burlap sack or towels
Pitchfork over the fire holds a good many but arms get tired after a bunch of batches lol
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
X2 on the suggestion about the pot, basket and brick. I have a big old pot from a mess hall, the thing is BIG. I have a stainless steel dryer basket that fits inside. I put two bricks in the bottom and add about two or three gallons of water(just up to the bottom of the basket and covering the bricks). Works fine every time.
ZX
The more water you use, the more it’s gonna take to boil and steam it. Always use minimal and refill as needed in my experience.
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
Dito the oven cookie sheet - did that back in school. Ate a many a oyster like that.
I used a 4’ square piece of steel plate set on 4 concrete blocks - covered with wet burlap over a fire for years. Does give a hint of smokey flavor.
Got a big stainless cook pot with a lid now. Use a metal milk crate set on a brick in bottom of pot with a couple inches of water and a propane jet burner. Does 1/2 bushel a batch and done in about 15-20min. With a half dozen folks will cook them as fast as you can eat them.
J Ford
Ever microwaved oysters?
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16’ Alumacraft // 20hp Yamaha
14’ War Eagle // 9.8hp Tohatsu
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quote:I have,it works but the moll doesn’t really like me doing it.haha
Originally posted by ScreamingdragEver microwaved oysters?
17’ Mako //90hp Mercury
16’ Alumacraft // 20hp Yamaha
14’ War Eagle // 9.8hp Tohatsu
17’ Key West // 90hp Yamaha
Many different ways…a steamer is one of the fastest ways and you can rent steamers.
You can use your turkey fryer basket over a little bit of water - it will discolor your shiny basket and pot though…take the shine out of the stainless.
We finished off our 5 gallon bucket full on the grill…put them on a roasting pan with the with the slotted broiler pan for the steam to come through. Worked OK.
Mom used to fix them for me in the oven…but small batches.
A fire pit is a fun way to go. Get a good fire going and put a piece of metal (or tin) over the fire and put the oysters on top and cover with a wet piece of burlap…they cook really fast and I think taste best because none of the oyster cooker steam blanches the oyster. Added bonus is on cold days, you can stand around the firepit as you cook and stay warm.
Swig and Swine had a roast a while back and they put their oysters on a open wood fired grill rack. That was interesting way of cooking.
Paul Godbolt (Sellsfish) and his son sell local washed oysters for $45 a bushel…that’ll feed about 4-5 people with all they want to eat. Paul’s son can also make and sell you a burner pretty reasonably for a steamer.
This is my set up…I’m in for about $450…search Off Topic for I bought something big…
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~my dad
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2007 Grady White 222 Fisherman / 250 Yamaha
Simrad NSS evo2 and G4
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1 - 19 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
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quote:
Originally posted by Moral KioskI’ve built a fire in an old dryer barrel and roasted them over that and it works great.
Not to derail, but I like this idea for a fire barrel. Any idea how long will it hold up?
Other than the legs, did you have to do anything special?
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-Team Gonna Fish
quote:
Originally posted by Bowhunterquote:
Originally posted by Moral KioskI’ve built a fire in an old dryer barrel and roasted them over that and it works great.
Not to derail, but I like this idea for a fire barrel. Any idea how long will it hold up?
Other than the legs, did you have to do anything special?
The photo above is not the one I did. We did nothing special with ours. Just set the barrel on the ground, got a good fire going and roasted above the flames. Did 3-4 roasts that winter and worked great. I don’t know how long it’d hold up if you used for many years.
My wife’s great uncle told me the way they did it back in the day. They would have an open fire, with the oysters on tin, and covered them with brown palm frans. He don’t remember him saying wet or dry, but the frans gave the oysters a great flavor. I have never tried them that way though, don’t care for them anymore.
I’ve roasted on an open charcoal grill, a sheet of metal roofing with a fire under, steamed in a pot, in a rice cooker, on the oven rack, in my oyster cooker, microwaved, set straight in the coals of the fire and a few others