Each month we take a look at local restaurants, farms and farmers markets featured on episodes of UNC-TV’s Flavor, NC. This week, we highlight an episode from season 2 and a visit to Jarvisburg on the North Carolina coast. Host Lisa Prince visits Carolina Mariculture Oysters in Cedar Island and 42nd Street Oyster Bar in Raleigh.
In this episode, Lisa is “shelling out the facts on a new way of farming oysters in North Carolina.” She meets with Jay Styron, owner of Carolina Mariculture, who raises about 40,000 oysters each year. His oysters are raised in floating cages in the Core Sound.
Styron gives Lisa a little “Oyster 101” in what to look when buying oysters for cooking. Styron recommendations include buying an oyster that is heavy for it’s size with a nice deep cup in the part of the shell that holds the oyster.
Lisa then visits with Chef Joe Rohrer of 42nd Street Oyster Bar in Raleigh. Although this restaurant may be more than 100 miles from the coast, it holds the distinction for being the number one oyster shell recycler in the state.
Below is Chef Rohrer’s recipe for Pimiento Cheese Oysters
Ingredients
- 4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese
- 3/4 cups of pimientos, diced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
- 2 dozen oysters on the half shell
Combine all dry ingredients and mix. Add the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard and mix thoroughly. Spoon the ingredients on to half shell oysters. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese starts to brown, about 20 minutes.