Fresh slightly briny and sweet oysters on an ice-chilled tray paired with tangy and bright mignonette sauce, lemon wedges, and maybe some hot sauce–um yes please. Learn how to safely shuck your own oysters at home, but be careful you may never want to stop eating them!
Most of the time, you’ll see oysters or clams served on a bed of crushed iced with lemon wedges, hot sauce, and a mignonette sauce (more on this later!).
How/where to buy oysters?
If you’ve never purchased oysters before, here are a few quick tips to follow:
- Eating oysters based on seasons isn’t a hard and fast rule these days, but some do state that due to the spawning season in the warmer months this can affect taste. However, as for risks of eating oysters throughout the year, the invention of refrigerators has given us the availability to eat oysters year round. Many oysters are farmed and refrigerated/frozen until served. Farmed oysters are actually preferred for their positive environmental effects in the water.
- Try to buy oysters from a company that specializes in seafood or is reputable for seafood, like Hog Island Oyster Co., Santa Monica Seafood, or Santa Barbara Fish Market.
- Take a whiff and see. Oysters should smell like the sea, like sea salt and not have a super strong smell. They should have tight shells that are clamped shut. Any oyster with open shells are bad and should not be eaten.
I recently ordered fresh oysters from Santa Barbara Fish Market and was pleasantly surprised by how easy and fast these oysters got to me. You can choose which oysters you want to order and the amount of each oyster to order.
If you’re wondering about how much oysters cost, Santa Barbara Fish Market sells them individually. Each oyster ranges from about $1.75 to $2.65 per oyster. Shipping is also fairly affordable to starting at $12.99, which is hard to beat! Sometimes you can find daily deals from local fishermen or seafood companies where they sell a bucket of oysters for a cheaper price but the varieties range and you may not be able to choose the variety you like.
Background/ types of oysters
Oysters are a type of bivalves (like clams, mussels, and scallops) that filter water through their shells and gills. Most types of oysters have two sides of shells, one that is bulbous and cupped and another side that is flattened.
Most of the oysters harvested these days are from farmed oysters. While you might have some reservations about farmed seafood, farmed oysters are the exception. They actually filter out a lot of water (about 50 gallons per day for large oyster varieties) and have helped in removing excess amounts of algae in the water.
They don’t make a negative impact on their environments and farmed oysters are actually a recommended seafood variety that is suggested by Seafood Watch as sustainable. Some of my favorite types of oysters to eat raw on the half shell are:
- Kumamoto: a smaller sized oyster (about 2-2.5 inches) with a briny start and a sweet finish. These are from the Pacific Coast.
- Minterbrook: These medium sized oysters have a very mild, but sweet flavor. I would recommend these for newbies. They’re from the Puget Sound area.
- Hama Hama: These 3 inch oysters have a salty, but slightly fruity flavor to them and are also from the Puget Sound.
- Blue Point: These East Coast oysters are more typical of what you imagine oysters on TV. They’re larger sized and also have a briny flavor and juicy consistency.
How to eat oysters (and not be weirded out) – Edible Education – KING 5 Evening
FAQ
What are raw oysters served with?
What are you eating when you eat oysters?
What to eat with raw oysters?
Here’s the short answer. The best side dishes to serve with raw oysters are zesty saltine crackers, crusty homemade bread, or cucumber mignonette. You can also serve with a side of clam chowder, hush puppies, or some bloody marys. For salad options, a wakame and sesame salad, tomato salad, or a snap pea salad would be ideal.
What can be used as a replacement for oyster sauce?
The best options include fish sauce, hoisin sauce, mushroom sauce, and mushroom soy sauce. You can choose the one that best suits your taste and the dish you are preparing.
What to serve with oysters?
Add some truffle oil or parmesan cheese to your french fries for an elevated and indulgent twist. Get slaw-some with coleslaw! This crunchy and creamy side dish is the perfect complement to a plate of fresh oysters. Mix up a batch of homemade coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrots, and a tangy dressing of mayo, vinegar, and honey.
Can you serve raw oysters at home?
Serving raw oysters at home can seem intimidating to people who don’t have a lot of experience with the process, but it’s actually pretty manageable once you learn the basics. In this guide, I’ll share my experience and teach you the finer points for your next festive occasion (or an oyster-fueled night alone, if that’s how you want to relax).