The bounty of the Chesapeake Bay holds countless treasures for a young chef of international acclaim. Chef Jeremiah Langhorne grew up fishing, foraging, and living off the bounty of the Chesapeake region. Today, his Michelin-starred and acclaimed restaurant, The Dabney, in Washington D.C., is a showcase for the recipes and ingredients of the Mid-Atlantic.
Today, our Chef gets his feet wet at White Stone Oysters, where his favorite watermen are growing oysters in floating cages atop the most tumultuous strip of the Chesapeake Bay, nurturing and growing what Langhorne says is “the best oyster in the region, hand’s-down.”
Cooking on an open hearth, Chef Langhorne shows us how to make Grilled Oysters with Crispy Country Ham and Shishito Peppers, creates a unique Aronia Berry Mignonette, and offers tips on the “local” method for shucking an oyster.
RECIPES
ABOUT CHEF JEREMIAH LANGHORNE
Jeremiah Langhorne is chef and owner of The Dabney, located in Washington, D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood. A Virginia native, Langhorne returned to his mid-Atlantic roots to open this new restaurant venture after five years at the acclaimed McCrady’s restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina, where he worked as chef de cuisine under Executive Chef Sean Brock.
The Dabney was a semi-finalist for the 2016 James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant, was named one of Bon Appétit magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurants of 2016, and received a Michelin star in Washington D.C.’s Michelin Guide in 2016 and 2017. Langhorne has been recognized as a “Eater Young Guns”, named a “Top 5 Rising Chefs in the US” by Gayot, and other awards.
THE DABNEY
ABOUT WHITE STONE OYSTER COMPANY
White Stone Oyster Company was born out of an obsession with the relationship between oysters and their environment. In order to grow a more perfect Chesapeake oyster we introduced a new method of aquaculture to Virginia. We are the first farm whose oysters spend the entirety of their lives floating in the unforgiving surf of the Chesapeake Bay. We will never settle for anything less than the best oysters our home waters can produce.
WHITE STONE OYSTERS
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OYSTERS
GOOD FOR THE OCEAN
Farm raised oysters are a super sustainable seafood and are declared a BEST CHOICE from Seafood Watch. Oysters are now farmed across the country in a variety of methods that do not utilize chemicals or additives.
Oysters are very productive mollusks and a single oysters can filter more than 50 gallons of water each day. As they feed on algaes in the water column, oysters help maintain clean water in bays, rivers and estauries.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Look for local oysters in your area or order online. Each oyster grower will produce varieties that vary greatly in flavor according to the location. Just as wine gains its nuances and flavors from the terrior or soil, oysters attribute their unique flavor to their merroir or location in the water.
Oysters are most often served raw on the half-shell, but they are also delicious grilled, BBQ'ed, or in stews or in baked dishes. Always choose oysters from a reliable source and eat them as fresh as possible.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
There is an old saying that you should only eat an oyster during months that contain an "r", when they are not spawning (which can produce off tasting oysters). That is no longer the case as most farmed oysters use triploid species which are a-sexual and therefore don't spawn. So, eat your oysters year round and eat them often, because oysters are one of the healthiest, most sustainable, and delicious things in the sea.
LEARN MORE
ORDER OYSTERS ONLINE
OUTTAKES FROM THE NEW CHESAPEAKE OYSTER
"THE CHESAPEAKE REGION IS OF THOSE GREAT PLACES IN OUR COUNTRY, FULL OF BOUNTY AND INCREDIBLE PRODUCT"
"I WANTED TO GROW AN OYSTER THAT WAS
DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING ELSE OUT THERE"
"SOME PEOPLE SAID I WAS INSANE TO GROW OYSTERS THIS WAY -
OTHERS SAID, THIS JUST MAY BE CRAZY ENOUGH TO WORK"