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Fold a clean kitchen towel to use as a protective mitt. Hold the oyster curved side down (that’s upside down) so that when you open it, the deep shell will catch the oyster’s liquor (juices). Place an oyster in your toweled hand and your toweled hand on a steady surface. Wedge your oyster knife into the hinge that connects the shells. (Don’t use a regular knife; the blade is too thin.) Then turn the knife as you would a doorknob, exerting minimal forward pressure. As you turn the knife, there will be a slight, satisfying “pop” as the joint gives way. Take out the knife and wipe it free of sediment. Slide it between the shells to cut away the muscle that holds the shells together. Remove the upper shell. Carefully run the knife under the meat to release it.
Jam in the knife
Twist like a doorknob
Yes, I agree, the Oy Boy is the way to go. I love oysters and now serve them up without the bloody paws to show for them. It was always something I dreaded until I found this gadget and I can't tell you how to get one for sure as mine was a gift, but if you can find it, you'll be very happy with it.
Comment I Agree with the previous writer, Kipshaw. I have felt the pain of a slipped oyster knife...and as a guitarist, it seriously affects my mood! So I am now the proud (and painless!) owner of an Oy Boy Oyster shucker...and this little gizmo REALLY works! HIGHLY recommended! No more bloody severed digits!
Your "how-to" is accurate, as long as the oyster cooperates. But more often than not, trying to find that "sweet spot" in the hinge where you can easily dig in to get that "satisfying pop" is elusive at best. It can take minutes upon minutes, during which time, the knife seems to enjoy slipping over and creating a satisfying pop in your palm. So, I will say that, after reading the comment posted...+READ
Your "how-to" is accurate, as long as the oyster cooperates. But more often than not, trying to find that "sweet spot" in the hinge where you can easily dig in to get that "satisfying pop" is elusive at best. It can take minutes upon minutes, during which time, the knife seems to enjoy slipping over and creating a satisfying pop in your palm. So, I will say that, after reading the comment posted by oysteropener on April 29, I tried his method of using a tad bit of industrial muscle, bundled nicely in a small comfortable handheld cordless drill, whose custom drillbit always seems to find the sweet spot instantly. I vote for oyster-opener [dot] com!-COLLAPSE
seriously.
I am terrible with an oyster knife! Blood and tears!!! But discovered a bloodless, painless, easy to use hand -held device that makes me smile. Check it out! oyster-opener.com
Found the oyster/clam knife of my dreams at China Fair Porter Square in Cambridge, MA. $2.50 a piece.
China Fair
www.chinafairinc.com
(There is no way to buy this knife on line, but I am sure if you called they would ship it).
China Fair
2100 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140-2012
(617) 864-3050
Why isn't this a Chow tip?
StriperGuy: agreed, when you get the hang of it and enough strength in your wrist, you can do anything, and shuck a couple of dozens in no time. Not everybody's forte though...
Thanks for the foodservice page
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/445/CLID/1382/Clam_and_Oyster_Knives.htm
Good source.
Ya don't need cradles.
Ya don't need fancy gloves.
Ya don't even need fancy knives, but you do need a clam/oyster knife, this one is just about right:
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/445/CLID/1382/N/105897/Wooden_Handle_Clam_Knives.htm
I like a flat-sided, wood handled knife so it won't slip.
You need to work on a flat surface. A big wood cutting board is perfect. If you get...+READ
Ya don't need cradles.
Ya don't need fancy gloves.
Ya don't even need fancy knives, but you do need a clam/oyster knife, this one is just about right:
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/445/CLID/1382/N/105897/Wooden_Handle_Clam_Knives.htm
I like a flat-sided, wood handled knife so it won't slip.
You need to work on a flat surface. A big wood cutting board is perfect. If you get better at it, you can also easily do it in your hand.
The instructions above are pretty good.
If you don't want to hold it in your hand, you can just put it on a cutting board, cover the bottom two thirds with a dish towel, exposing the top so you can get to the important part. Above they describe turning like a door knob... I think of it more as a wrist-wiggle as you are trying to get the point into the oyster. Once the point is in a bit, then you can do the doorknob twist.
Once you get the hang of it (shuck a couple of dozen, you will figure it out) it is easy.-COLLAPSE
Ya don't need cradles.
Ya don't need fancy gloves.
Ya don't even need fancy knives, but you do need a clam/oyster knife, this one is just about right:
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/445/CLID/1382/N/105897/Wooden_Handle_Clam_Knives.htm
I like a flat-sided, wood handled knife so it won't slip.
You need to work on a flat surface. A big wood cutting board is perfect. If you get...+READ
Ya don't need cradles.
Ya don't need fancy gloves.
Ya don't even need fancy knives, but you do need a clam/oyster knife, this one is just about right:
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/445/CLID/1382/N/105897/Wooden_Handle_Clam_Knives.htm
I like a flat-sided, wood handled knife so it won't slip.
You need to work on a flat surface. A big wood cutting board is perfect. If you get better at it, you can also easily do it in your hand.
The instructions above are pretty good.
If you don't want to hold it in your hand, you can just put it on a cutting board, cover the bottom two thirds with a dish towel, exposing the top so you can get to the important part. Above they describe turning like a door knob... I think of it more as a wrist-wiggle as you are trying to get the point into the oyster. Once the point is in a bit, then you can do the doorknob twist.
Once you get the hang of it (shuck a couple of dozen, you will figure it out) it is easy.-COLLAPSE
More on oyster cradle Clic'Huitres
http://www.valsedesprix.com/clic-huitres.htm
It does not really take a lot of efforts to open an oyster if you follow these tips:
1 - use a good knife, i.e. a sturdy, narrow, short blade with a pointed tip. Best is the "lancette" type used by shuckers in France and available in the US at Sur La Table http://www.surlatable.com/product/things+cooks+love+oyster+knife.do?search=basic&keyword=oyster&sortby=gsa&asc=true&page=1 and like stores.
...+READ
It does not really take a lot of efforts to open an oyster if you follow these tips:
1 - use a good knife, i.e. a sturdy, narrow, short blade with a pointed tip. Best is the "lancette" type used by shuckers in France and available in the US at Sur La Table http://www.surlatable.com/product/things+cooks+love+oyster+knife.do?search=basic&keyword=oyster&sortby=gsa&asc=true&page=1 and like stores.
2 - use special thick rubber gloves designed for oyster shucking (Le Manostre) http://www.cuisinstore.com/gant-a-huitre.
If you cannot find them just use now popular kitchen silicon mitts.
3 - you don't have to hold the oysters in your hand : if you do, it requires more efforts to hold your grip firm and steady, and you always run the risk of cutting yourself should the knife slip.
You can simply lay the oyster on a folded towel on the kitchen counter.
You can also use a plastic cradle, like the French do, (Clic'Huitres or Cal'Huitres), which rests on the counter and makes opening oysters a breeze...
http://www.patiwizz.com/catalogue/ensemble_clic_huitre_noir__cale___couteau__sans_marque.php
http://www.maxicook.com/ustensiles_cuisine/fiche.cfm?affil=NETAFF&cat_id=41&produit_id=245&utm_source=Netaffiliation&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=univers_cuisine_d_ete_fruits_de_mer--Iziflux&utm_term=fruits_de_mer_baumalu_set_cal_huitres_et_son_couteau-+-245--Iziflux-COLLAPSE
to elaborate on the "free the oyster step"...
To do so, you'll need to hold the oyster knife perpendicular to the arm that's holding the oyster. Slide the knife along the top shell to free from the foot that attaches the oyster to the top and bottom in the top, right quadrant of the oyster. Then, slide the knife under the oyster in the same way.
Then, slurp.
Detailed instructions, with...+READ
to elaborate on the "free the oyster step"...
To do so, you'll need to hold the oyster knife perpendicular to the arm that's holding the oyster. Slide the knife along the top shell to free from the foot that attaches the oyster to the top and bottom in the top, right quadrant of the oyster. Then, slide the knife under the oyster in the same way.
Then, slurp.
Detailed instructions, with photos, will be posted at the following by the end of the day:
http://www.marxfoods.com/Valentines-Day-Live-Oyster-Sampler?sc=2&category=9777-COLLAPSE
LJNew, you're right. Pick the smaller oysters: they're much easier to open, and generally sweeter than the monster oysters. Kumamotos are great for practice. They are easy to open, and even a relative novice like me can manage 2 or 3 a minute.
You may have to buy more than one oyster knife before you find one that suits you. I have 3 different oyster knives. The first one I got has a thick blade...+READ
LJNew, you're right. Pick the smaller oysters: they're much easier to open, and generally sweeter than the monster oysters. Kumamotos are great for practice. They are easy to open, and even a relative novice like me can manage 2 or 3 a minute.
You may have to buy more than one oyster knife before you find one that suits you. I have 3 different oyster knives. The first one I got has a thick blade around 2 cm wide, and a proportionately-sized handle. While good for great big oysters, it's clumsy on the smaller ones. The second is a French contraption i saw my father-in-law using. It looks like a pair of scissors, but with only one blade; the scissor mechanism operates something like a parrot's beak built into the side of the handle. You use this "beak" to make a notch on the side of an oyster so that you can find a gap between the shells and pry open the oyster from that point. This is great when you have trouble finding that hinge. The third knife is a Breton oyster knife, with a blade around 1 cm wide and a slender wooden handle. (The 3-inch blade looks like the one pictured above.) This is the plainest of the lot, but it's the one that works best for me and the small- to medium-sized oysters I prefer.-COLLAPSE
Well - what they DON'T tell you is to pick nice petite oysters to open. This makes a difference. At a recent visit to a Maine oyster farm recommended on these very pages, we were able to select our own oysters. Well, naturally we went for the big meaty looking suckers. Opening them was about 10 minutes of wrestling, prying, cussing and sweating EACH.
It seems that the bigger the oyster, the...+READ
Well - what they DON'T tell you is to pick nice petite oysters to open. This makes a difference. At a recent visit to a Maine oyster farm recommended on these very pages, we were able to select our own oysters. Well, naturally we went for the big meaty looking suckers. Opening them was about 10 minutes of wrestling, prying, cussing and sweating EACH.
It seems that the bigger the oyster, the stronger the muscle holding them shut.
We were heavily considering the use of power tools. A breeze, huh?-COLLAPSE
Just got a personal tutorial in this last weekend. It is work, but it is simple work and so worth the effort.
It really is as simple as CH says -
1) get and oyster knife and some oysters
2) wash and brush off oyster shells if dirty
3) use a towel to protect your hand, both the knife and the shell are sharp enough to hurt.
4) hold oyster so the flatter side is up, the more bowl-shaped side...+READ
Just got a personal tutorial in this last weekend. It is work, but it is simple work and so worth the effort.
It really is as simple as CH says -
1) get and oyster knife and some oysters
2) wash and brush off oyster shells if dirty
3) use a towel to protect your hand, both the knife and the shell are sharp enough to hurt.
4) hold oyster so the flatter side is up, the more bowl-shaped side is down to catch the juices
5) wedge the knife into the hinge where the two shells open, right at the hinge point
6) twist to open, scrape loose oyster
7) lay in a bed of crushed ice so it does not tip and spill the amazing oyster juice
that's all really, its a breeze.-COLLAPSE
The oyster has two shells just like a clam. One of those shells is curved, the other is flat. The curved shell goes down not only to conserve the juices, but also to expose the hinge.
As far as the amount of force required, it is significant. Shucking oysters is no easy job and you do have to wrestle with them a little until you get the hang of it. Practice makes perfect...
-Bill
...+READ
The oyster has two shells just like a clam. One of those shells is curved, the other is flat. The curved shell goes down not only to conserve the juices, but also to expose the hinge.
As far as the amount of force required, it is significant. Shucking oysters is no easy job and you do have to wrestle with them a little until you get the hang of it. Practice makes perfect...
-Bill
(http://www.loving-long-island.com)-COLLAPSE
I'm not quite sure what "curved side down" means.
It's always easier said than done :| I went digging for oysters one weekend and it was tough no matter how many I practiced on. I wonder how much force I'm really supposed to use.