Freshly shucked oysters are a classic—and classy—starter to a seafood feast. They should smell briny and fresh; toss out any that don’t pass the sniff test. To level the oysters and make sure the juices don’t spill out, serve them on a bed of coarse salt.
HANDS-ON TIME
15 minutes
TOTAL TIME
15 minutes
MAKES
8 servings
INGREDIENTS
16 raw oysters
hot pepper sauce
lemon wedges
grated fresh horseradish (see tip, below)
DIRECTIONS
Using stiff brush, scrub oysters under cold running water. Using thick cloth or glove, hold oyster, curved part of shell down; insert oyster knife into small opening near hinge. Twist knife to break hinge; wipe blade clean. Reinsert knife and slide along underside of top shell to sever muscle; discard top shell, removing any grit or broken shell on oyster.
Keeping oyster level to retain juices, slide knife under oyster to sever bottom muscle. Repeat with remaining oysters, wiping knife clean between each.
Serve with hot pepper sauce, lemon wedges and horseradish.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION, PER SERVING: about 19 cal, 2 g pro, 1 g total fat (trace sat. fat), 1 g carb, 0 g fibre, 15 mg chol, 59 mg sodium, 44 mg potassium. % RDI: 1% calcium, 14% iron, 1% vit A, 2% vit C, 1% folate.
TIP FROM THE TEST KITCHEN
Grated fresh horseradish is a must for this recipe. If you can’t find the fresh root in the produce aisle, skip it and just
go with the lemon and hot pepper sauce. Bottled prepared horseradish doesn’t have the right pungent tang for these
ultra-fresh shellfish.
