Do you own an oyster knife? Do you use it?

Cafe Society
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Firstly, all of us who enjoy oysters know that a not insignificant portion of the population do not share our appreciation. If you think oysters are disgusting but have something factual or interesting to add to the discussion, I welcome your input. Please note that “Ew, oysters are gross.” is not factual and the fact that you dislike them is not interesting.

I’m interested in hearing from anyone who buys live oysters to take home, shuck and eat. What’s your prep routine, if any? Those on the actual coasts with opportunity to purchase oysters harvested that morning probably do a lot less than I do. I’m in Rochester, NY and no matter the quality of a live oyster here, it’s been at least a couple of days since that oyster was living on a farm or free ranging in the ocean as oysters do. The following is my routine:

First, I scrub the shit out of them with a stiff bristle floor brush (which is not used to scrub floors). Next, I cover the bottom of a 2 quart stockpot with about 1/8" of kosher salt and fill it most of the way with cold tap water. I toss the oysters and a few ice packs from the freezer in and let them soak for about 60-75 minutes. This gives them an opportunity to re-hydrate and do a little self cleansing and in my opinion, really improves the texture and flavor of the meat.

Many times when I shuck them (which I still mostly suck at) I’ll find some mud or literal oyster shit in the shell, so after I separate the top muscle and pull off the top of the shell (with the bottom muscle still attached) I rinse them thoroughly under the tap. I know many would consider this a sin, as the “liquor” is prized, but here’s why this works, in my opinion.

After an hour long salt water bath, the oyster is completely hydrated. After rinsing, I dump all the tap water out of the shell and when I separate the bottom muscle, it creates a new pool of oyster liquor. I didn’t come up with this idea, it’s probably been done for decades or maybe more, but I think the cold saltwater bath improves the oyster immensely.

Am I stating the obvious? Does everyone do this? I honestly don’t think I know another person who buys live oysters. I know plenty of people who enjoy them occasionally at restaurants. For that matter, does anyone with restaurant experience want to chime in? I sometimes make some artery-clogging oyster stew, but mostly eat them raw. Sometimes plain, usually with a bit of (not too hot) hot sauce like Cholula. Tonight I’m using a jalapeno sauce for the first time because I’m out of Cholula. It’s actually much better than I expected.

I’m off to get a couple more. Tell me about your ways of the oyster.

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Just depends. Soaking to clean in salt water is a good idea. I don’t scrub them, I’m not eating the outside of the shell, I won’t buy them if they’re that dirty, and if my friend who digs them out of the ocean behind his house brought them out that dirty I’d tell him to go back and get more. They shouldn’t be that dirty inside after soaking either. Most restaurants buy oysters that have been kept in a clean water facility and sorted for size, they don’t need to do any extra prep, just shell and shuck. My hands used to be tough enough to shell without gloves but I cut too easily now.

Oysters are great raw, for cooking I buy them shucked except to make Oysters Rock. They’re fantastic fried, and I make a great Oysters Florentine. Oyster chowder is interesting but I never made it myself, seems like a waste of good oysters. I did make oyster stuffing for turkey on Thanksgiving once, nothing all that special.

On the half shell I’ll usually use some cocktail sauce or Sriracha. EVOO and garlic butter are good too, but that’s just window dressing, it only makes them a little better than straight out of the shell.

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Ooh, please share your recipe. When I was young in Pensacola, there was a restaurant named Marcello’s close to the gates of the naval air station there that made an Oysters Florentine dish that was out of this world. I’ve tried a couple of times to replicate it, but have never gotten it quite right. Now I collect Oysters Florentine recipes in the hope of finding the right one.

I’m in New England near the coast now, and I do have an oyster knife in the drawer that gets used every once in a while. Oysters aren’t a regular thing, but I make a decent chowder from time to time and sometimes just buy a few to eat raw. For me, that’s with Crystal hot sauce, horseradish, and lemon along with saltines.

The place I get them from does a decent job cleaning them, so, for me, it’s just shuck and serve. I’ve managed to jab myself pretty hard trying to get a bite on stubborn shells a couple of times, so I’ve taken to using a heavy rubber glove.

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I no longer eat them raw, but I do buy them raw and cook them. I just scrub the outside with a brush, then pop them under the broiler until the shells open. Yum.

Butter and lemon, maybe hot sauce.

I might try soaking them next time I buy any!

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I don’t expect to be attacked by an oyster.

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Yes, I have an oyster knife. (Actually two, but one oyster was too much for the first one and the handle came loose.) Yes, I use it.

We usually eat them raw, but we also like them char-broiled.

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This is a basic recipe, you need to adjust the seasonings and volumes to meet your tastes, I’m not trying to hide the oyster or spinach flavor. It’s made on a plate with shucked oysters, not in the half shell.

Smear 1 tbsp EVOO over an 8" plate
Scatter crushed garlic and 2 tbsp finely diced onion over the plate
Dust with fine dry bread crumbs, just enough to absorb the oil
Cover with a layer of blanched spinach, stems removed
Drizzle 1-2 tbsp melted butter over the spinach
Season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and parsley
Cover with a layer of shucked oysters, not drained, you want plenty of juice
Drizzle white wine over the oysters, just 1 tbsp should do it
Sprinkle with dill and cayenne or paprika
Cover with a layer of fine bread crumbs and grated parmesan, about a 50/50 mix
Drizzle 1-2 tbsp EVOO over the crumbs

You can bake this in a 350 oven until the crumbs on top brown, depending on the size of the plate that can go 10-15 minutes

or (this drives people crazy)

Place the plate in a microwave uncovered and cook on high for 5-6 minutes
The crumbs won’t really brown but all the flavor will be there.

One time I had fresh oysters but the spinach had gone bad so I substituted chopped kale for an interesting and delicious variation.

8

I eat my oysters in restaurants, because the oyster knife frightens me. Just a squeeze of lemon, thank you.

Way down south, where the warm-water oysters are less crisp and delightful than in New England or the Pacific Northwest – and a lot cheaper – I have mixed my own “oyster dope” from the ketchup, lemons, horseradish, hot sauce, etc., provided by the oyster bar. I admit that it’s fun to do.

If you’re in New Orleans, do try the original Oysters Rockefeller at Antoine’s Restaurant; they are superb. If you’re in Chincoteague, Virginia, the oysters fritters and fried oysters are excellent. Otherwise I’m not a big fan of cooked oysters. Here in NYC, where a half-dozen on the half-shell can run as high as $20 or more, I need to savor them like caviar.

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I DO own a shrimp knife, however. My least favorite kitchen chore was cleaning, shelling and deveining shrimp, and the shrimp knife allows you to do it all in one brisk motion.

An older sister who worked in restaurants back in the 1960s gave me her old wooden-handled one a few years ago. But every fishmonger will sell you a plastic one for a couple of bucks, and it’s a safe investment for a shrimp-lover.

The handle is always red, for some reason.

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What’s embarrassing is when you’ve got an oyster knife and the oyster shows up with a gun.

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If I’m within 21 feet, I can have him shucked before he gets a shot off.

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You never want to confuse the shrimp knife with the prawn knife.

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Yes, I have an oyster knife, and I use it. I have two, as a matter of fact. On our last trip to the Olympic Peninsula, we wanted to buy and eat oysters at our vacation home, but couldn’t bring our fancy oyster knife with us on the plane. I had to stop at a kitchen supply store and I bought the cheapest one I could find. Now we like the cheaper one better because it’s easier and more comfortable to use. I like it so much that I mailed it home to myself, so now we have two.

I wash the oysters a bit, but don’t purge them. We like the small ones, like kumamotos or shigokus, raw with lemon or mignonette sauce. The larger ones we broil with butter and lemon, or I shuck them and make oyster stew. BTW, shucked oysters freeze quite well in their liquor and a little added water, at least if you plan to make oyster stew with them.

I’ve eaten a bad raw oyster once or twice and gotten sick, and sworn I’d never eat them raw again. But I’ve always gone back to them - they’re too good!

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I’m still waiting for a member to show up with the username Roistered Oyster.

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Some bad clams put me in the hospital, once.
They had axes.

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Not razors?

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We have an oyster knife that my mom gave my husband. But honestly, I can’t remember ever having oysters in the house. Luckily, we have enough space in the junk drawer that keeping it doesn’t cause a problem.

I love most seafood, but not oysters in any form. Spousal unit will slurp them down raw or eat them fried.

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Oyster po’boy. Love 'em.

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I have several oyster knives and they all get extensive use. I only scrub the shells if I plan to use them with a prepared dish under the broiler. I consider myself a better than average shucker, but then I do have over 40 years experience shucking them. I will eat them any way they are placed in front of me. When I’m home we usually scald them in a large pot outdoors. I also love dining at Oyster Houses and sampling different varieties from different locations.

20

I like oysters, but mainly pan-fried. I can eat them raw, but don’t particularly enjoy them that way - I’ve compared them to salt-water gelatin before. :slight_smile: Methods like oysters Rockefeller are tasty enough, but I feel like the crunchy exterior you get from pan frying is a necessary texture contrast for me to truly enjoy them. I also loved smoked oysters and I have plans to give home-smoking a try this summer.

Anyway, I do own an oyster knife and I do use it occasionally. Maybe once a year. My favorite place to buy oysters is Chuckanut Drive, where you can get five dozen for ridiculously cheap straight from the oyster farmers themselves. The catch is finding enough people to help you eat the rest because you don’t get the same price break on smaller portions…

I haven’t tried the salt-water bath, and will definitely look into that next time.

For everyday purposes when it is just my wife and I, we usually buy them pre-shucked in a jar. We dump them into a strainer, rinse them off well and let them drip while we get other components of dinner going. When we’re ready, we season them (just salt and pepper), dust them in 50/50 flour and corn meal and pan fry. My wife likes to add ketchup to hers. If I put anything on them, it’s tartar sauce.