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- They're all live oysters?
- This is all live oysters.
- So they're everywhere.
I'm here in Maine or North Haven island, where
I'm going to harvest oysters with Adam, a local farmer
of America's favorite mollusk.
- This little, tiny bed can produce
250 to 300,000 oysters a year.
- I'm walking through the water, thinking,
where are these things.
I'm actually standing on them.
It was a proper oyster bed.
They're free.
Nothing's caged.
Nothing's in racks.
Look at size of this.
- Oh, it's a monsters
- That is insane.
What an amazing little river.
- So the freshwater comes from freshwater pond up here.
- Yeah.
- And then the tide comes from the sea.
And then the two meat, and it creates
really good algae blooms.
- Yeah.
That's the advantage of the tides obviously.
- And the flow.
- And so that's gorgeous one.
- That's a beauty there.
The extreme tidal fluctuations of this estuary and the mixing
of fresh and salt water are a part
of what makes this the perfect environment
to grow the oysters.
How do they get here?
- I grew oysters in the past four years,
and I have this kid harvesting for me,
and he shucked the oyster and dropped them on the bed.
And they created a natural spawn.
So I came down the next morning, and the whole 17-acre pond
had three feet of foam on it.
And I was like, oh, my God, what's going on?
- Some of the oyster larvae swam into this connected estuary,
where they ended up thriving on the gravel bottom.
So Adam now replicates this process for each new batch.
- Actually, you want an oyster?
You want try one out right now?
- I'd love one now.
Yes, please.
Yeah.
Are you kidding me?
- Let's do that.
- Look at that.
Oh, my God.
- Try that.
- Thank you.
Just look at the color.
My God.
They're nice and thick, and dense, creamy.
- Mm-hmm.
- Cheers.
Look at that.
- Cheers.
Bloody hell.
Man--
- There's a reason I have five kids.
- Guess how many kids I've got?
- How many?
- Five.
- No [bleep].
That's awesome.
For me, it makes a big difference
having these free-range, bottom-cultured oysters,
because they're spread out.
There's nothing set in cages.
They're not hanging horizontally, vertically.
They literally are laying on the bed of that river,
and then this surge of saltwater against the freshwater
is just producing a perfect oyster.
Honestly, some of the best oysters I've ever eaten.
Oh, my God.
- All right.
Let's go smoke some big ones.
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So these oysters here are market oysters.
So this like half shell market.
- Gotcha.
- The big ones like this one we got today,
that is not a half shell oyster.
- How do you open something like that?
- I'll shuck this one.
- Please.
- Check it out.
Oh.
- Man, look at that.
I mean, honestly.
Wow.
- So then we'll brine that overnight, and then--
- That is beautiful.
So beautiful.
- And then this is what it looks like after 24 hours of smoking.
- Oh, my God.
- Right here.
- So they've already been brined.
- They're brined, smoked.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
- Mm, that's delicious.
- Yeah.
And then the way we finish them is in--
- There's another process?
- Yeah.
We pack them in virgin olive oil with a couple
other little secret ingredients.
- I love that there's secrecy.
- We've got to have a few secrets.
- That smells sweet.
Is there honey in there?
- Yeah, there is.
See.
You got me.
[bleep] You got me.
- Chefs share their secrets, right?
- Yeah.
One's enough.
- Mm, my God.
Wow.
That is so good.
Smoked oysters are out there.
You know, it's a fine balance when something's
salty, creamy, and delicious.
But amazing flavor.
What works for me there is that honey.
Any herbs in there?
Oh, you're not going to tell me.
You're such a [bleep].
I know Melissa won't have a jar like that.
May I take the fresh oysters, the clams, and just a jar?
Because that could be the secret weapon.
- Do it.
- Yeah?
- Take it.
- Thanks, bud.
- Share the love.
- I think I'll become a Mainer.
Now, I've got to cook like one.
So these little pockets of magic, fingers crossed,
is going to have the edge over Melissa.
- All right, cool, man.
- Take care.
Thank you.
- All right.
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