Rose & Steve's Recipes

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From Salon.com, Dec 17, 2010

Shucking and serving

And now I will perform something less graceful than gymnastics: I will try to describe to you my preferred way to shuck an oyster, a task for which something like, say, a couple of pictures would probably be much better suited. (We're trying to save up for a dozen.)

The first thing is that you really want an oyster knife. Sorry, it's the way it is. Your paring knife is probably too sharp, too brittle, or too bendy, and these things will mean that it will probably spear the oyster meat, break, or turn into a shape you won't like very much. A pretty good oyster knife can be had for even 10 bucks, so it's not a big deal, and you want one where the tip is thin and pointed, but where the blade is sturdy and stiff.

Look at your oysters. There will be a cupped end and a flat end; the flat end is the lid, and the oyster lives in the bottom, the cup. Now note that one end of the oyster shell will taper or round into a hinge. That's where you're going to invade its privacy.

Fill a dish or platter with chipped or crushed ice. Sprinkle the ice generously with salt, which will cause it to freeze together into a stable base to display your oysters.

Fold a kitchen towel into quarters or eighths, and lay the oyster on the towel. Fold over the towel to cover most of the shell, exposing the hinge end, and hold the oyster down with your non-knife hand to stabilize it. Slip the tip of the knife not directly into the hinge, but just to the side of it, wedging it between the top and bottom shells. This might require some strength but also some control, so you don't end up jabbing through the shells and spearing the meat. (A good oyster should be whole so that it "pops" when you bite it.)

When you feel the tip well-wedged between the shells, give the knife a firm, smooth twist, feeling for some give and then a pop, a tremendously satisfying sensation. If the knife is grinding up bits of shell, you may have to try to wedge more of the tip into the oyster.

Once you pop the shell, keep the knife in the oyster, but now take the oyster from the towel and lift it in your hand. Holding the lid mostly in place with your thumb, angle the blade of the knife a little up and gently scrape the underside of the lid in a forward motion. There is a muscle that the oyster uses to attach the lid, and you're trying to gently cut through it.

When you've found and separated the muscle, take off the lid and discard. Take a look at your oyster meat. It should be plump and moist, hopefully unblemished from your knife, and likely sitting in a pool of juice (the liquor). If it's dry or shriveled, take a good whiff. If it smells funny, get rid of it. Otherwise, gently run the knife edge under the oyster, to separate the muscle on the underside too. Pick out any loose bits of shell that may have fallen in, and place the oyster on the ice, being careful not to spill the liquor.

Repeat, again and again, until everyone's had enough, likely delirious with pleasure and love.