Oysters might not be everyone’s cup of “sea,” but if you happen to be among those who are bewitched by the beautiful bivalve, you know how delicious it can be to celebrate these gems from the ocean.
Whether your allegiance is to west coast or east coast, when it comes to celebrating oysters, there are plenty of ways to enjoy them. And there’s no better day than on “World Oyster Day,” which is observed on August 5.
Purists will attest there’s nothing quite like slurping back oysters raw, straight from the shell. If you aren’t bellying up to your favourite oyster bar, where the pros do the shucking, you might want to try your hand at shucking yourself. (Yep, we said it!)
To get some insight on Shucking 101, we turned to Issac Martin del Campo, General Manager of the recently-opened Fanny Bay Oyster Bar in Vancouver, BC. Del Campo happens to hold the title and trophy for the 2nd Annual Shuck it Forward oyster-shucking competition, too, so this is some serious expertise.
Here are four steps for shucking an oyster:
1. It’s all about the hold
Don’t hold the oyster from the top, instead grab it from the sides.
2. Wiggle it, just a little bit
When you put the shucking knife tip into the hinge, give it a little left to right wiggle with a bit of pressure.
3. Don’t get stabby
Scrape the inside top of the shell with the knife tip to pull the abductor muscle away.
4. Push it real good
To loosen the oyster from the bottom shell, don’t cut it–give it a push.
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