I came to adore oysters. Oysters Rockefeller. Steamed oysters with ginger and scallions. And best of all: raw, briny oysters with a dash of Tabasco, lemon juice, or a delicate mignonette.

“When you steam wild oysters you’re concentrating flavor, creating a broth inside the shell, just as you would roast bones for a browned chicken jus,” he says. “The richness and developed ...