Comments on Beyond Salmon: Oyster Notes

Hi Kari, This one beats them all! Thank you :) ...

2012-01-24T11:08:56.203-05:00

Hi Kari,

This one beats them all! Thank you :) Just posted it on my facebook page.

Cheers,
-Helen

Another good video from America's Test Kitchen...

2012-01-24T09:46:27.094-05:00

Another good video from America's Test Kitchen:
http://youtu.be/n_YPxcF1ta4
I like how he holds the towel - clever!

As an oyster inept, I swear by the Julia Child met...

2012-01-14T19:13:17.355-05:00

As an oyster inept, I swear by the Julia Child method. She advocated using a beer can opener (aka church key), wedging the point in at the hinge and prying. That works to separate the shells enough so that a standard thin paring knife can be introduced to separate the oyster from its house, freeing the shell the rest of the way so that it opens. It's in some of her books and vids.

Thanks Kari! By the way, where are you a fishmong...

2012-01-13T13:17:24.268-05:00

Thanks Kari! By the way, where are you a fishmonger?

I use the same knife with the white handle that th...

2012-01-13T09:49:57.703-05:00

I use the same knife with the white handle that the guy uses in the Legal Seafoods video. You can get them at any restaurant supply. I also like the one with the wooden handle in Becky's video. I can see in theory that a pointy knife would be easier to break into the hinge but it scares me to death!

As for more safety tips, bunch up the towel so that the fingers on your gripping hand aren't exposed. The only injuries I've sustained are to the tips of my thumb or forefinger when the knife slipped. Also, if you plan to cook the oysters, e.g., for Oysters Rockefeller, don't shuck them with a knife. Use heat - grill, oven or steam.

Hi Kari, I love the video! Thank you so much for...

2012-01-12T22:52:13.308-05:00

Hi Kari,

I love the video! Thank you so much for such a great resource. I used the towel on the counter technique, not the glove. About rinsing. I don't think there is any controversy over scrubbing the shell really well before shucking. The controversy is over rinsing the oyster after shucking or pouring off the first liquor to get rid of grit. Even James Peterson recommends in Fish and Shellfish book to rinse if necessary. I found that I rarely had to rinse (only one very gritty oyster), but I did often pour off the liquor and let the shell fill up again.

Of course, I am a complete oyster beginner, so take everything I say with a big grain of salt. I didn't like them until about a year ago, and even now no one in my family likes them but me. But I'll try to practice more when I am home by myself on weekdays.

Do you have any safety tips besides the towel and using a less pointy knife?

Helen, I'm shocked that you've never shuck...

2012-01-12T17:37:00.841-05:00

Helen, I'm shocked that you've never shucked! :)

I'm a fishmonger and that's a decent video but IMO, that fingerless glove is kind of a joke. I do recommend a towel, but I've still injured fingertips using that method. This is a really great video by Chef Becky Selengut:
http://www.goodfishbook.com/gfb/how_to_videos.asp?vID=5

When you talk about rinsing do you mean before or after shucking? I always rinse the shell under cold running water (before shucking) with a vegetable brush if it's really muddy. This doesn't seem to affect the amount of liquor since the creature is not submerged.

Also, the best thing about a "Blue Point" oyster is the name. They have pretty much become the generic East Coast oyster. Wellfleets on the other hand, yum! If you can get Barnstables, they're another nice one from the Cape.