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If you are among the many who, when considering
oysters for a home meal, head to the canned seafood section of the
supermarket in search of shucked oysters….
If you’ve ever had a front row seat at an oyster
bar and watched in awe as a real pro popped open a dozen oysters
as easily as you might pop open a couple of cans of beer and thought
to yourself: I wish I could do that…
Take heart. You can. Maybe not as fast or with
the practiced ease of one who does it for a living, but a certain
degree of facility is not beyond your reach. Canned oysters are
pasteurized and lose a lot of flavor. Fresh oysters are low in cholesterol
and high in omega-3 oils, zinc and vitamin D and not all that hard
to open, once you get the hang of it. If you don’t have an oyster
knife (and most people don’t) a standard (not philips) screwdriver
or an old fashion beer can opener will do the job.
First select the oysters. As a rule, wild, cold
water East Coast oysters (the kind we serve at the PIER) are preferable
to Pacific coast oysters. They should feel heavy for their size
and the shells not open or broken. They should be tightly closed
and kept cool and damp until ready to eat.
To open, simply lay a kitchen towel on the counter
in front of you. Place an oyster flat side up, pointy (“hinge”)
end facing you. Fold the towel over the oyster with the end exposed.
With one hand pressing down on the covered shell (so that the oyster
is immobile and your hand somewhat protected; don’t hold it in your
hand) work the point of your tool into the hinge of the bivalve.
With the oyster knife and the screwdriver, you simply twist the
handle. With a can opener, insert the point with the curve facing
up and press down. The oyster should “pop” open.
Enjoy!
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