Oysters Casino
Eleven casinos dot the Mississippi beachfront from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis. I’m not too much on gambling—I’m poor and my luck isn’t so great—but I have a friend, Dale, who works for a large casino concern and he invited me there recently for a big music event. With some time to kill I decided to try my luck in the casino. Cards are not my thing and I like gawking at people, so roulette seemed the best game for me. When the croupier, Twayla, set the ball to spinning it hopped off the wheel, missing the thirty-eight pockets, and went right down the front of my blouse. The guy next to me asked me my bra size and it came up on the next spin. People think I make this kind of thing up but Dale saw the casino security tape to prove it! Seventeen natural oyster reefs are managed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources along the Mississippi Sound, which runs ninety miles east to west from Waveland to the Dauphin Island Bridge. On the south side, the Gulf Islands National Seashore separates the sound from the true Gulf of Mexico. As I write this the fate of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, its oysters, and its tourism industry is under siege from that catastrophic oil spill. I am betting on the resilience of these folks; they have come back from the brink of disaster before.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat a grill to medium-low or heat the oven to 500°F.
Step 2
Arrange the oysters on a large rimmed baking sheet and keep cold in the refrigerator.
Step 3
In a medium skillet set over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Reserve the bacon drippings in the pan.
Step 4
Melt the butter in the skillet with the drippings over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, shallots, and celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley and oregano. Spoon the mixture over the oysters, and top with the bacon.
Step 5
Using tongs, transfer the oysters to the grate and grill over a moderately low fire for 7 to 10 minutes, or until just cooked through. Alternatively, roast the oysters on the baking sheet for 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve at once with lemon wedges.
