In the Kitchen With: Erin Byers Murray
All writers need to collect information for their articles. Good writers take the needed time to research and connect with sources, ensuring they have an adequate understanding of their topic. Great writers immerse themselves in the subject they plan to share, going beyond the who, what, where, when and diving deep into the how and why. That’s what writer and editor Erin Byers Murray did in 2009, when she went to work on the Island Creek Oysters farm, even if that wasn’t her sole motivation in that moment.
Erin was living in Boston and met the Island Creek farmers at a dinner. She’d never heard of oyster aquaculture before but knew there was a story there. “I visited the farm to see what specific ideas I could find,” she says. When she left a few hours later, thoughts of an oyster farming article had been supplanted by the desire to simply learn. “I wanted to know how to do what they were doing,” she says. She pressed pause on her writing career and asked the farmers for a job. They hired her on as a farm hand, despite her not even knowing how to drive a boat.
After a year on the farm, she’d earned an “oyster PhD.” “I got to see and work with every step of the process,” she says. “I also experienced oyster culture in a way that helped me better understand why people are so drawn to this simple but beautiful food source.” The work was meaningful, but her initial interest — the story — stuck around, and and so she told it, penning a book about her time at Island Creek called “Shucked.”
Erin has resumed her writing and today is the editor in chief of the Southern-food-focused magazine The Local Palate and recently co-authored "The Row 34 Cookbook”with chef Jeremy Sewell. While her work champions a diverse array of cuisines and culinary cultures, oysters still claim a key spot in her heart, as does the community they create. It’s why she happily agreed to join the Oyster South board earlier this year. “Oyster South really connects the oyster farming community; it opens the doors to share information and solutions. That’s so beneficial for farmers,” she says, “and this sharing is different from what you see in many other industries. I just want to help promote and further that.”
Despite the advanced degree she earned while working at Island Creek, Erin also wants to continue her oyster education and knows a great way to do it is by eating more and more oysters. “I’m a curious oyster eater. I want to try them all. I’m always looking for the best one,” she says. So which oyster is the that “best one?” “That’s the oyster that’s being opened in front of me,” she says.
Spicy Grilled Oysters
Erin's never met an oyster she didn't like, and that includes tasty grilled oysters. Here's one of her favorite recipes: simple and highly slurpable.
Serves 2-4
1 dozen oysters
3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
Cholula red hot sauce
Fire up the grill to a medium-high heat. Place unshucked oysters cup-side down on the grill grates. Close grill and let sit for 5 minutes until oysters start to pop open. Using tongs and a shucking knife, pull oysters off grill, shuck off top shell (discard) and place oysters back on grill. Lower heat if using a gas grill, or move to a section with less heat. Quickly add a piece of butter to each oyster, followed by a drop or 3 of Cholula. Let sit on grill for 1-2 more minutes until butter is melted. Carefully use tongs to transfer to a platter (don't let them tip over or spill any juice). Let cool slightly before serving.