[Sca-cooks] Raw clams/raw oysters was Re: Seljuk/Rumi/Sufi Cuisine

Christiane christianetrue at earthlink.net
Fri Apr 30 07:42:06 PDT 2010


>Well, who said phobias were logical, pray tell?  For whatever reason, I
>cannot deal with the texture of raw oysters...the same way I cannot deal
>with eggs that are undercooked...they have to be cooked until the white is
>solid and that funky slimy part is solid.  So far as oysters are concerned,
>they only have to be cooked just enough to solidify them...I have had them
>pulled directly from the Bay, put on a grill just long enough to let them
>cook a bit in their own juices...dipped in butter, they were to die for.
>But for whatever reason...I just can't get a raw one into my mouth without
>gagging!

Me too. Same way with raw clams. I've tried superfresh oysters and clams, and the texture as they slide down the back of my throat is too reminiscent of phlegm. Cold, fishy phlegm. 

But my dad adores them. I remember going to a local Italian festival with him where someone had set up a clam bar (this seemed to be de rigeur at Northern New Jersey Italian, church-sponsored festivals in the summertime during the '80s); there's my dad with his paper plate of a dozen clams, exclaiming gleefully, "Look at how fresh they are are! They quiver every time I hit them with the lemon juice!" And they did, too. Fascinating to see.

Oddly enough, I am fine with undercooked eggs. I like my yolks over easy, which means leaving the white not quite solidified. I think it's because I scoop it up with toast, which provides texture.

But raw eggs? Nope.

Adelisa



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