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Ever watch an oyster shucker at a restaurant work through a dozen Beausoleils or bluepoints? You probably thought to yourself, “There’s no way I could do that.” Except you can. And should. With a little advice from the experts (and the miracle of overnight shipping), it’s easy to start any night like they do at chic raw bars and cool natural wine spots across the country—with some briny bivalves on the half shell.
Ask to see the bag tag and examine the harvest date. Ask to handpick the oysters if possible, and try to select the heaviest ones. Examine your purchase: make sure none of the oysters are dead (the shells will be open and won’t close when tapped)
Now That’s a Knife
Dont even think about trying to open these bad boys without an oyster knife. The folks at Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market in Greenport, NY swear by the Duxbury from knife maker R. Murphy, which sports a narrow pointed blade thats good for carefully opening oysters with tapered hinge sides.
Serve ‘Em in Style
Make like most pros and pick up an aluminum seafood tray or tower, available on Amazon, at restaurant supply stores, or at webrestaurant.com. Or you can take a page from Kimball Houses book and hit an antique shop: The Decatur, GA restaurant boasts vintage pewter-coated trays in the shape of clamshells. Or you can just work with what youve got: Bar Normandy serves its half shells in run-of-the-mill bowls filled with ice, while Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, ME uses pie tins or fish poaching trays. As long as your vessels got sides of ice, youre good to go.
What to look for when buying oysters
FAQ
Can I eat raw oysters from the grocery store?
What to look for when buying fresh oysters?
Do supermarkets sell oysters?
How do you pick a good oyster?
Where can I buy fresh oysters?
Oysters are sold raw, frozen, and canned. When purchasing fresh oysters, there are a few things you want to look for, starting with buying from a reputable fish market or seafood section of your grocery store. All bivalves in the shell, which also includes clams and mussels, by law, must be sold live.
What should I look for when buying fresh oysters?
When purchasing fresh oysters, there are a few things you want to look for, starting with buying from a reputable fish market or seafood section of your grocery store. All bivalves in the shell, which also includes clams and mussels, by law, must be sold live. Live oysters will be tightly clamped shut or will clamp shut when tapped.
Do you have to sell live oysters?
All bivalves in the shell, which also includes clams and mussels, by law, must be sold live. Live oysters will be tightly clamped shut or will clamp shut when tapped. Dead oysters will have loose shells and must be discarded along with those that have broken shells. Fresh, live oysters should feel heavy and full of water.
How do you store oysters?
Retailers are required by law to have tags with the oysters’ harvest date, so ask to see them if you’re so compelled, Jacobsen said. Toss out any oysters with open shells and store the rest in the fridge. For your sake and your date’s, do not let them dry out. Putting them in a bowl covered with a plastic bag or wet towel works well, Jacobsen said.