The other Valve..

Well, here’s the other half (and end) of the "Tale of Two…" series.  The concept of two festivals linked by oysters sounded so good in my mind, but execution has sort of been difficult (probably mostly to the long windiness of the Feeder).  So before moving back to rambling around the Emerald Isle, we’ll take a quick peek at the recent 49^th St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival and National Oyster Cook Off.

My task for the festival was to organize the

So I spent most of the first day of the Festival inside that building dealing with the vagaries of slow burners, “where’s the…” questions and so forth.  There’s lots of pre event coordination of course but once “it’s here!” it is fun.  The chef/cookers enjoy themselves and have a great time.  They are always a nice bunch of people.  Marty Hyson cooked his Stout Grilled Oysters outside

But of course most worked inside.  I’m sure most of the readers know the concept of the cookoff;  recipes are gathered over the summer, an independent source selects the final three recipes for Hors d’oeuvres, soups and stews, and main dishes.  All recipes must feature Oysters. The chefs who created the nine final recipes are invited to the cook off and makes the dish to be submitted for judging by an elite panel of chefs and food experts.  They have one hour to prepare two recipes, one for judging and one for the folks in the audience.

Each category has a winner; there is a “people’s choice” dish as voted by the fair goers, best presentation, and Grand Prize winner.  

There’s always a plethora of ingredients around

Serving Dishes are set up

And displays are made ready

Finally, the dishes and bowls are filled, and the displays are populated

 (Stout Grilled Oysters with Cheesy Topping - Won Best Presentation)

While the dishes are being prepared, our lively 17^th Century announcing team from Historic St. Mary’s City kept people entertained, informed, and got tips and highlights from the contestants while they prepared the dishes.

When the dishes are ready, the are transported (very carefully) to the sequestered judging team.  A miserable task, sampling all those wonderful dishes, don’t know how they do it..  Anyway the winners are announced in the afternoon, and a very happy Lynne Laino from Downingtown, PA and her Oyster Tacos with Chipotle Crema took the Grand Prize

A great time was had by all, and you can get the recipes from the cookoff in our little recipe book

Before they all went back to their kitchens, the judges were kind enough to get a group shot

Left to right, 

Rob Kasper, former food editor for the Baltimore Sun 

Patrice Olivon, Program Director of Culinary Arts at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg 

some struggling foodie 

the irrepressible Loic Jaffres, Chef/owner of Café Des Artistes in Leonardtown 

John Shields, owner of Gertrude’s Restaurant at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

On Sunday, local Chef Melissa Rivera, owner of Earth 2 Table Catering Catering did a demonstration of making Sausage and Oyster balls for all to enjoy

And, all around the really important food activity were the National Oyster Shucking Contest, culminating on Sunday afternoon with a repeat winner from 2014 of Duke Landry

Duke is eligible to return to Galway again in September 2016 for the World Opening Championships..  Unfortunately the Feeder won’t be there this time. 

So, two countries, two festivals, linked by two valved creatures, the same shucker/opener each time.  A great concept.  Okay, next edition will have us heading south from Galway down to the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, the Dingle Peninsula, and beyond.

And, of course we can be
DFD