Former Oyster Champ Wants to Reclaim Title

by Woody Jenkins

BATON ROUGE — In 1989, Duke Landry of Don’s Seafood shucked two dozen oysters in 2 minutes, 20 seconds — an all-time national record that still stands — on his way to winning one of four U.S. titles at the National Oyster-Shucking Championships in Lexington Park, Maryland.

Now Landry, a familiar face to Don’s customers, is coming out of “oyster-shucking retirement” and heading back to Maryland Oct. 15-16 to try to reclaim his title.

If Duke can get back in his championship form and win the overall national title, he’ll once again represent the United States at the World Oyster-Shucking Championships in Ireland.

Duke won his first U.S. men’s National Championship in 1986.  Each year, the men’s champion and the women’s champion have a “shuck-off” to see which of them will represent the U.S. in Ireland.

“That first year, a young girl won the women’s title.  Then we trained together for a couple of days before the championship.  I made the mistake of teaching her all my secrets, which she learned perfectly and then beat me!  I didn’t make that mistake again!”

The next three years, Duke beat the female champion and went to Ireland every year to represent the United States.  The year of his 3rd overall national championship, he placed 3rd in the World Championship in speed and 1st in the world in presentation.

As U. S. national champion, he traveled widely, representing the oyster industry.

One of the highlights of his “celebrity” status was appearing on the Hollywood game show, To Tell the Truth, with Alex Trebeck.

Panelists on the show were Kitty Carlisle, Orson Bean, Betty White, and Bull from Night Court.  [This was obviously “back in the day!”]  They had to ask Landry questions and determine whether he was the three-time overall National Oyster-Shucking Champion or the “Human Fly” who was famous for climbing tall buildings.

The panelists concluded that Landry was indeed the Human Fly!  At the end of the show, Duke shucked oysters.  Trebeck tried to eat an oyster and found a pearl necklace that had been planted there.

Don’s Seafood is a legend in South Louisiana.  Don Landry started Don’s in Lafayette in 1934.    He was one of four brothers — Willie, Don, Ashby, and Roland Landry — and seven sisters.

Don and Roland owned Don’s Beachcomber restaurant in Grand Isle.  After a hurricane wiped the place out, they decided to open a new restaurant in Baton Rouge.  They partnered with Earl Domingue.  Don passed away not long afterwards, as did Earl and Roland’s wife Helen.  Roland was left with a restaurant to run and five kids to raise without their mom.

Roland remarried and his new wife Rachel raised the Landry children along with her own daughter and one child that Roland and Rachel had.

Lots of family members work at Don’s including Duke Landry, his wife Betty, son Dustin, son-in-law Jeremy Jeansonne, Aunt Lilly’s daughter Bo Moore, and sisters Darlene and Maureen Landry.  Central’s own Jeanette Eisworth and Christy Langlois have been there “forever.”

Miss Shirley Anthony, the head chef, has been at Don’s for 51 years, and has been honored for her service by the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

At the National Oyster-Shucking Championship, each contestant has to shuck two dozen oysters.  The elapsed time is the base line.  Then the judges inspect each oyster for cuts or the presence of dirt.  Each negative discovery results in three seconds being deducted from the contestant’s time.

What is Duke’s key to victory?

“I use a slightly different technique, and I’m very careful about dirt getting into the oyster.  Even under the pressure of the clock, I wipe the knife before each insertion.  This takes time but it’s better than losing three seconds for every fault,” he said.

Most people in South Louisiana love raw oysters, Duke said.

Do they like them small, medium, or large?  Duke said, “Most people like them medium.  But they like the large ones for frying.”

Why do people have such a hard time eating their first oyster?

Duke said, “I think it’s the texture and just the thought of it!”

How do people end up finally trying that first oyster?

Duke laughed and said, “Usually someone dares them and they take the dare and get roped into it.  They put sauce and crackers all over it.  Sometimes they spent five minutes decorating the oyster!”

Why do people keep eating raw oysters?

Duke said, “It’s the taste!”

If all this is making you think of oysters, Don’s Seafood at 6823 Airline is open seven days a week.  There’s an Oyster Special on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday when the price is $3 a dozen, or 25 cents each.  Normally, a dozen costs $7.

The latest craze at Don’s is Jacked Up Oysters.  Brent Poche gave me one, and it was delicious!

Duke said he makes them with pepperjack cheese and bacon bits.  Then they are charbroiled.

Charbroiled oysters use romano cheese and seasoned butter, he said.

Why is Duke Landry returning to compete once again for the National Oyster-Shucking Championship?

It’s about pride — pride in Don’s, pride in Baton Rouge, pride in the seafood industry, and pride in Louisiana.

After all, in the past 50 years, Duke Landry is the only Louisianian ever to win the National Oyster-Shucking Championship.