OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL

One of my fondest memories of summer travel was visiting Canada’s Prince Edward Island – where we enjoyed the best and most delicious seafood of the season. Of course, the highlight of the trip was visiting the famous Malpeque Bay and tasting the freshest oysters EVER. 

Fast forward to our summer evenings here in Toronto where we love to prepare and eat oysters on the half shell at home. We always choose Malpeque oysters as they are cultivated in the pristine, glacial waters of Atlantic Canada. To us, they are easy to eat. Aficionados describe them as “briny sweet, light bodied and clean on the finish”. I just call them delicious! 

Sadly, oysters often get a bad rap. Some people get really nervous and quite apprehensive to try them for fear they will get sick by eating them raw.  We learned many things on that trip to PEI, especially how to buy, prep and eat raw oysters. So I am sharing them with you, in case you want to give them a try!

BUYING OYSTERS

If you plan on eating raw oysters at home, buy them from a trusted source to ensure they are fresh. We buy ours in a box of 25, with its harvest certificate glued to the box.

• Live oysters should be consumed within 3 weeks of their harvest time
• Oysters should smell like the ocean, but definitely not “fishy”
• In order to reduce exposure to room temperature, do transport them from the store to your home in a cooler or in a cool thermos/insulated bag
• Do not freeze the oysters
• Freshwater will kill the oysters along with their ocean flavors. 
• Discard oysters with already opened shells

SHUCKING OYSTERS

Shucking oysters takes patience, practice and a proper oyster knife. Plus a kitchen towel or a glove to protect your hand. A kit like this one or this one are great options, too.

Prep the oysters: clean off the debris or sand with a brush. You may rinse them under tap water but never soak them.

On a flat surface, insert the knife into the hinge of the shell. Twist and turn until the two shells separate .

Slide the knife along the side to cut the adductor muscle. Remove the top shell. Slide the knife under the muscle to fully dislodge it. Using the tip of your knife, remove any broken shells.

For a visual reference, I suggest watching the following video.

SERVING OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELF

Ideally, oysters should be served on a bed of crushed ice not only to keep them fresh but also to keep them in place- so the precious briny oyster liquor does not spill. I love to use a simple yet elegant serving porcelain platter to display them.

Oysters should be eaten alive. They should appear well-hydrated (with their sea water) so discard those that stick to their shell.

Although I am a purist and like my oysters “plain and naked”, sometimes for variety’s sake I will squeeze fresh lemon juice on them. The acidity of the lemon pairs perfectly with the salinity of the oysters. Cut the lemon in wedges and then remove the seeds and the white membrane. 

If you wish to have a topping, a classic mignonette is the way to go. It is a sauce made of carefully chopped shallots, chardonnay vinegar (or any mild wine vinegar) and toasted, ground peppercorns. Very delicious, but do exert caution since an excess will obliterate the oyster’s delicate flavour.

To chew or not to chew… Yes! In order to fully taste and appreciate an oyster, chewing a couple of times is definitely recommended. You sip the liquor, slurp the oyster and chew it a couple of times.

PAIR WITH…

My favorite way to eat oysters is with Champagne. However, oysters also pair very well with crisp, dry, white wines such as Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé or Chablis.

And if you are not into wines, a good crisp lager will do quite well. 

---

Do you like oysters? If so, how do you eat them… raw or cooked? Let me know in the comments below!

Not into oysters but prefer shrimp? Check out my easy, casual shrimp boil recipe.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Loved this post? Share it to a friend!