The Thorngrove Table

Shellfish & Seaviews

I am sitting on the train, watching overcast English skies drizzling rain down - a somewhat depressing view - so I am attempting to cheer myself up with the thought the clouds bring to mind these Greenport oysters I ate during mine and Jenny's birthday celebrations.

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Platters of Greenport Oysters and clams

Although not the largest or plumpest oysters I've ever eaten, nor be singled out as having a particularly unique taste, nonetheless they were rich and some of the freshest I've ever had - a real gulp of the ocean. Clams, I hadn't eaten in years although they rate quite highly in my List of Preferred Seafoods, and these were particularly tasty little morsels. Accompanying these were various sauces, including a delightful shallot & vinegar Mignonette (see here for similar recipe).

It wasn't entirely sunshine for our birthday weekend however, as you can see from this photo across Greenport Harbour to Shelter Island.

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View across Greenport Harbour to Shelter Island

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

Finally this weekend I received a spot of summer! In what has otherwise been the most dismal English summer I can remember - though I must point out I'm currently in another country. A wonderful day spent in Greenport, Long Island, NY with my twin and brother-in-law; blazing sun, lovely blue sky, warm ocean breeze, and seats at Claudio's seafood restaurant on the dock, right beside the water. Lunch consisted of a starter of delicious raw oysters, a dozen split between the three of us. Fresh and tasty, they slipped down easily in no time.

For my main I ordered a side salad - which had a very tasty house dressing and the interesting (and successful) addition of julienned daikon/mooli - to go with an appetizer of crab cakes. These were solid little patties of fantastically fresh and scrumptious crab pieces - just the thing you want to be eating when you're sitting on the dock of the bay! I also ate several of Jenny's spiced, chilled and still-shelled shrimp; delicious, though a little more labour intensive.

After lunch we wandered into the outdoors bar - the one with the sign reading "Stray kids will be fed to the sharks" (I'm sure they're talking about goats) - and listened to an excellent covers band doing CCR, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Chris Isaak, U2, Peter Gabriel and others for an hour or so before heading out to Bedell Cellars to try their latest (and extremely nice) wines. Why can't all summer Sundays be like this?