Cook oysters with the cupped side down, and the hinge end towards you. If an oyster gets too hot and pops open, this helps ensure any steam or sharp contents are sent the opposite direction. A closed oyster on a campfire or grill will steam its way open in about 15 minutes. Hama Hama Oysters shares some grilling tips here. Paring Knife A paring knife can also open an oyster.
The shells break apart. After the pop, slowly pry open the oyster. Just run the knife around the side of the oyster, and it will open. It needs some cleaning first!
Chances are the meat is covered with fragments of the top shell as well as some dirt or grit. So, scrape the knife around the top of the muscle to make sure all the debris has been removed. Cover the container loosely with a damp cloth, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Do not cover the container tightly with plastic wrap, or the oysters will suffocate and die. Before shucking, oysters should be vigorously scrubbed under cold water to remove any dirt, mud, sand, or hidden nasties from the rough outer shell. Really good oysters are best served simply, dressed with either a squeeze of lemon, a very sparing amount of cocktail sauce, or a few drops of mignonette. Let it sit overnight to develop flavor. My mignonette: a couple tablespoons of perfectly minced shallot mixed with two tablespoons of white wine vinegar and lots and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
There's a lot of debate among oyster aficionados as to whether East Coast or West Coast oysters are superior. I was born in New England, so you can guess which camp I align myself with. Any decent fishmonger or oyster bar will identify its oysters by harvest location. A quick rundown, for the uninitiated:. East Coast oysters tend to be very salty and briny, with a clean, crisp seawater flavor.
The best by which I mean my favorite examples of the style are the incredible blue-green bivalves from Wellfleet, Massachusetts; the large, reddish, super-salty ones from Pemaquid, Maine; or real Blue Points from Long Island be careful, because that appellation is often abused. Also fantastic are the widely available Island Creek oysters from a farm in Duxbury, Massachusetts. They are all the same species—Atlantic oyster—though occasionally you can also find the Belon on the East Coast.
More common in Europe, it tends to be more assertive in flavor and less briny than the Atlantic oyster. West Coast oysters come in a few species Pacific, Olympia, Kumamoto all of which have a softer, creamier texture. Their flavor can run from being mildly metallic and mineral to strong, almost fishlike, with a hint of iodine. For beginners, Kumamotos, mostly farmed in Washington State, are the easiest to appreciate.
They are small, plump, and relatively mild, with a faint melon flavor. Fanny Bays from British Columbia are one of the most popular Pacific oysters, with a characteristic cucumber finish. Olympia oysters were once the predominant species in Washington, before being depleted and eventually replaced with Pacific varieties from Japan. Olympias tend to be the strongest, most mineral, and most robust.
Whatever oyster you choose and I encourage you to get a wide selection at first, to figure out your favorites , make sure that they are wholesome before you eat them. The liquid inside should be relatively clear not cloudy or yellow , the flesh should be shiny and look lively not dull or yellow , and there should definitely not be any kind of off, rotten, or fishy aromas.
If in doubt, throw it out. You don't want to suffer what is known in the competitive-oyster-eating industry as "a reversal of fortune. Shucking takes some practice, but if you keep at it, you'll figure it out. You may never be as fast as a professional raw-bar shucker, but you'll be fast enough to open one or two dozen at home without too much trouble. I like to keep my oysters nice and cold while I shuck them, so I'll fill a large bowl with ice water and submerge them in it.
That way, they'll stay chilled no matter how long it takes to shuck them all. Next, fold a clean kitchen towel lengthwise into thirds. Run the knife around the side and gradually open it up. Scrape off the top adductor muscle with your blade and discard the top shell.
I have trouble getting a clean top shell shuck. Usually, bits of the mantle and adductor muscle comes off with it. I think it's all in the wrist and angle of the blade. It was much easier for me to get a clean cut with the ShuckerPaddy knife. After the top comes off, clear off any shell, grit, or dirt from the meat. Then scrape the knife along the bottom shell to dislocate the bottom adductor muscle.
The oyster will have a natural suction against the shell, even once you cut the bottom adductor away. I usually like the nudge the oyster entirely apart from its shell so that it's completely free and ready to slurp.
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