As a newcomer I had little idea of what to expect at the 27th Annual
Oyster Roast which was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Swansboro and
took place recently on March 17th. The only warning I had gotten from
colleagues at Bluewater GMAC Real Estate was that there would be a
crowd. I was beginning to think of the Oyster Roast as some sort of
initiation that new members of the community have to go through blind
folded. Hearing that it was also called the Swansboro Cotillion only
added to the confusion. The last time I checked a cotillion was "A
ball at which young ladies are presented to society." What in the
world could that have to do with Steamed Oysters?
I
decided to show at 5:15 PM which is a time that I thought was pretty
early for dinner. Somehow I was not surprised to find a long line of
happy people snaking its way through the parking lot of the Civic
Center. It was a little chilly in line, and some of the ladies were
working hard to move it in the direction of the sun, but it soon began
moving swiftly. As I already had a ticket, I got my green wrist ban
and immediately saw this room filled with strange tables with people
already crowed around them and occasionally cheering.
As a
newcomer I had a lot of freedom to move around the tables. The first
thing I figured out was that in order to participate in the fun you
needed a tool and something to protect your hands. Fortunately there
was a contingency plan for this situation. Two gentlemen from Sneads
Ferry were selling Oyster Knives and towels that conveniently took a
five dollar bill. I bought my equipment and started searching for a
spot to stand at a table. It did not take me long to figure out that
there were no spots. It seemed the first wave of Oyster eaters were
still hungry and guarding their prime spots. I did discover that the
cheering alternated between excitement at actually getting Oysters or
trying to convince the runner that you were more deserving than the
next table.
Finding the steamer tables full required only a
slight change in tactics. I decided to take advantage of the Fried
Flounder, Barbecue, Slaw, and Chowder buffet line. I got a plate which
was filled rather quickly. In fact there was no room for a Hot Dog or
Chowder. After finding a beverage, I took a seat at one of the many
long tables in the hall. The Flounder very lightly breaded and fried
perfectly. I thought to myself that I needed to check out these expert
Flounder Fryers before I left. The Barbecue was also good but not
quite as good as the fresh out of the cooker Barbecue I had found at
the Emerald Isle Saint Patrick's Day Festival. Still the plate food at
the Oyster Roast was delicious. However, I wisely decided that the
real treasure of the sea was waiting for me back in the Oyster Hall.
On
the way back I decided to take a look at the behind the scenes
operation. I ran into Woody Warren of Bluewater, who had so kindly
provided me with a ticket for my first Oyster Roast. I got to meet his
son, who was one of the Oyster Runners. As I surveyed the scene
outside the building, I was awestruck by the size of the operation.
First there were the cement mixer-like machines which washed the
Oysters before their trip to the rows of steamers, then the Steamed
Oysters went to buckets for delivery to the tables. At the tables the
Oysters once stripped of their treasure were pushed down a chute in the
middle of the table which landed them in a trash can which came back to
be emptied into a front end loader which placed the empty shells in a
dump truck for a trip back to the water.
After figuring out
the Oyster Roast operation I watched almost mesmerized as the well
practiced Fish Fryers took fresh Flounder, rolled it in batter, and
quickly turned it into a delicious fried treat. I struck up a
conversation with the Hush Puppy Man who seemed to be dropping them in
the oil to a tune playing in his head. He confirmed that having rhythm
was important to a good hush puppy. After snapping some more pictures
of the operation, I decided it was time to enter the fray and not give
up until I found a spot at a table.
It did not take long to find
a spot as some of the early eaters were reaching their limits. I found
a spot by someone native to Swansboro who had driven 120 miles from
Lumberton to be a guide for his daughter and son-in-law's first Oyster
Roast. It turned out to be a fortuitous spot since I was able to also
learn at the side of a master Oyster Eater. When I got to the table it
was just finishing up a batch. We only had to endure a few steaming
buckets bypassing us before we got a huge dose of hot Oysters. I was
told to start work on the hinge if possible. It did not take long to
pry out several of the treasures.
Most people were dipping
them in butter or sauces that they had concocted. However, I thought
the perfectly salty Oysters were great straight from the shell without
any additional flavoring. I even ate from a neighboring shucker was
found a particularly huge one that was more than he wanted to tackle.
I do not think that I have ever had Oysters this plump and juicy. I took
advantage of one piece of sage advice from the Oyster Master next to
me. When I got to point of thinking I could eat just one more, I
stopped before I ate the one more. It was very good advice. With a
belly full of Oysters, I could only manage to listen to the music from
afar since there was a sunset about to happen on the White Oak, and it
was calling me. I never did get a beer. I guess that will have to
wait.
I know one thing I will be back next year, and I will have
a team of Oyster Easters with me, ready to capture our own table. I am
already looking forward to it. If you would like a full tour of the event check out the website of pictures I put up.
The title of the post could obviously be taken in a couple of ways, but the picture should clear up any misunderstanding.
