- 1). Wash the oysters well. Use a small stiff bristled brush to scrub the shell and remove the dirt and sand. Scrub especially well in the area near the shell's hinge where dirt tends to collect.
- 2). Slide your hand into an oven mitt to protect your hand while you prepare the oysters.
- 3). Shuck the oysters. Hold the oyster cup-side down in your gloved hand. Turn the oyster so that the hinge faces you.
- 4). Set a bowl below your work so that the juice coming off the oysters is collected for later use in a sauce or topping.
- 5). Open the oyster. Slide a butter knife into the hinge of the oyster only as far as it will go, while applying gentle pressure. Rock the knife back and forth to loosen the hinge. Do not use excessive force or you will break the shell and ruin the presentation.
- 6). Cut the muscle out of the shell. Using the knife, cut it from the top shell first. Cut underneath the muscle to free it from the shell completely.
- 7). Pour the juice that pools in the bottom half of the shell into the bowl.
- 8). Lay the muscle in the bottom half of the shell. The bottom half of the shell is used like a small serving dish for the sake of presentation.
- 9). Remove the top half of the shell and discard it.
- 10
Spoon the brine, or juices, back over the oysters in the half-shells. - 11
Set the oysters on a try of crushed ice and rock salt or dry ice to keep them chilled and level, when presented as a part of a formal table setting or buffet. - 12
Top the oysters with flavors of your choice, like a cucumber sauce or garlic-butter sauce, so it partially fills the half-shell and completes the dish.
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