How to eat oysters correctly?
You should know that oysters can be consumed in several ways. The main and most unfamiliar to a person far from French cuisine is practiced only in the case when this seafood is the main dish, supplemented only with sauce. It is this ritual that raises a huge number of questions. If only meat is used from oysters, combined with other ingredients, then it is consumed cold through the use of dessert utensils, and hot - through tableware.
The main emphasis should be on how to eat oysters according to the rules of French etiquette. In their pure form, oysters are served in restaurants with their shells closed, arranged in a circle on a platter, with lemon slices often placed between them. To keep the product fresh, a thin layer of crushed ice is poured underneath it. In addition to the oysters, there is a bottle of white wine, which can be replaced with champagne. Moreover, taking into account the fact that this seafood in itself is exotic, all attention is given to it, and the accompanying alcoholic drink is selected so that it only highlights the taste of the oysters, and does not interrupt it. Therefore, you should not order expensive wine with a long aging period: a classic dry white is enough.
The oyster is removed from the tray with your left hand; if you are right-handed, the sharp end of its shell is turned towards you, after which you need to take the knife served with the dish in your right hand. They should open the shell by inserting the blade flat and turning it clockwise 90 degrees. When opening the valves, it is important to maintain the horizontal position of the oyster, since there is a certain amount of sea water inside, which provides the mollusk with a slight spice. After this action, a thin film located in the very core will be visible inside. It must be removed with the same knife, carefully cutting it in a circle, and removed to the edge of your plate (not a common tray!).
Now the knife is put aside, its place in the hand is taken by a slice of lemon, the juice of which must be squeezed into the doors themselves, getting onto the mollusk. Lemon juice is sometimes replaced with vinegar in which the shallot rings were soaked. The last step is to draw out the contents of the oyster through the lips folded into a tube, which should be done very quietly. It is worth practicing this action at home, since it is at this point that the main difficulties begin. Therefore, in most restaurants, oysters are served immediately with the doors open, from which the meat is removed with a special oyster fork that has 2 long prongs.
Depending on how many people the oysters are intended for, their number on the tray varies from 6 to 24 pieces, but always in multiples of 6. In addition, the larger they are, the fewer there will be. The menu of most restaurants often includes 3 oysters in their pure form, and larger (up to 00) or small (up to 5) oysters are used as ingredients for other dishes. This should also be taken into account if you are going to implement any recipe containing oysters among its ingredients. Small types (4-5) are suitable for sandwiches and other cold appetizers, and for casseroles, soups, etc. 00 oysters are purchased.
The period in which this marine inhabitant was caught is also important. In France, eating oysters is practiced from September to April, since they actively reproduce from May to August. At this time, the shellfish become fattier, which not every gourmet will like. In addition, fishing for oysters in late spring and summer is prohibited by law, which was originally intended to protect these marine inhabitants from declining numbers.
It should also be noted that among oysters there are also species that are not suitable for consumption. Therefore, when purchasing frozen seafood in a store, pay attention to the data from the supplier or manufacturer. Portuguese and Adriatic oysters, as well as rock types, can be served at the table. Moreover, they can all have a different type of shell - concave or flat. You can also clarify the question of the salinity of the water in which the oysters lived. If the indicator exceeded 30‰ (ppm), the meat of such seafood is a bit harsh, so it has to be soaked in sauce for a long time and subsequently heat-treated. The standard value of water salinity, at which the optimal growth rate of shellfish and the taste of their meat is observed, is 25‰.
How to eat oysters - serving rules
- This seafood delicacy is served on a flat dish with plenty of crushed ice. This serving will keep the oysters fresh for half an hour. It is necessary to finish taking the delicacy during this time.
- A mandatory ingredient for oysters is lemon. Its acid will make the shellfish safe to eat and add flavor to it. The fruit is cut into slices and placed on a plate.
- Additionally, oysters are served with wine essence, vinegar, sour Tabasco or the chef’s signature sauce. Sometimes slices of black bread.
The frozen product always consists of raw jakobs. In good quality, it is slightly different from fresh mussels. The consistency is a little softer, and fresh clams have a particularly satisfying bite. Freeze frozen mussels slowly in a colander in the refrigerator so they are not in condensation water.
Jacob's mussels from a German lake
Wipe with a paper towel before frying. When purchasing Jacobs, it is very wise, as with a good wine, to pay attention to the “terroir”. Oh no, taste at best! They are probably the most prominent species of mussel. Casanova is said to have eaten 50 of them every evening. The fact is that the oyster still has an aphrodisiac effect. However, only their high nutrient content, most notably their peak zinc content, is scientifically proven. Oysters are farmed on many European shores.
How to cook oysters at home?
It was mentioned earlier that you can enjoy the masterpieces of French cuisine even at home, and you don’t have to have the skills and talents of a chef. In particular, when it comes to cooking oysters, there are almost no difficulties with them. The menu of most restaurants offers live sea creatures for consumption, which means they do not require heat treatment before consumption.
You usually buy already frozen copies at home, which you just need to defrost, make a sauce for them, and you can serve the product to the table. However, baking oysters, as well as frying and steaming them, is also practiced. This turns a light snack into a full-fledged second hot dish, which is much easier to eat.
After removing the seafood from the bag, it is washed and passed along the outside of its flaps with a soft brush. Then excess moisture must be removed with a towel or napkin using gentle touches. After this, the oysters are laid out on a dish with fine ice sprinkled on it to fix them in a horizontal position by creating depressions in the surface. And they prepare a sauce separately, or add lemon slices.
The classic recipe for sauce for fresh oysters is as follows: soak 1 tbsp in wine vinegar (100 ml). red onion or shallot, which should be carefully chopped. Pour in 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar and add a pinch of sugar and white pepper. All these components are thoroughly mixed, the container is covered with glass or a lid and set aside in a cool place for 1-1.5 hours.
Using the same vinegar, you can prepare a more exotic sauce for oysters by combining 100 ml of lime juice and wine vinegar and pouring 2 tsp into the mixture. soy sauce and 50 ml white wine. At your request, you can add your favorite seasonings: a pinch of nutmeg, basil or cardamom and pepper. This sauce is infused for 30-40 minutes.
A complete hot dish of oysters, which is easy to prepare at home, will take about 1-1.5 hours to create.
Compound:
- Oysters (without shells) - 2 tbsp.
- Onions - 1 pc.
- Bell pepper - 2 pcs.
- Celery root - 0.5 pcs.
- Hard cheese - 300 g
- Garlic
- Parsley - 1 bunch
- loaf
- Spices - to taste
Preparation:
- The pulp removed from the shells must be washed and spread on a paper towel to remove excess moisture. At the same time, the liquid that was in the oysters is poured into a glass: it will be needed later.
- While the shellfish are drying, you should take care of the vegetables with which they will be baked. Heat butter in a thick frying pan, in which you need to fry chopped onions, pieces of yellow bell pepper and celery root for 1-2 minutes.
- After 3-4 minutes, when the vegetables become soft and darken, add a chopped clove of garlic and add a pinch of red pepper. The mixture is given another 2-3 minutes so that the garlic also goes through the softening stage.
- Now you need to pour 100 ml of warm boiled water into the frying pan, wait for the vegetable mixture to boil, reduce the burner power and throw the chopped bunch of parsley into the frying pan. Under a covered lid and over low heat, the vegetables should simmer for another 5-7 minutes.
- At this time, 300 g of hard cheese is passed through a grater, half of the white loaf is broken into cubes and thrown into the frying pan. Sea water is poured there and oysters are laid.
- The dish is sprinkled with cheese on top, and the pan is put into an oven preheated to 150 degrees. At this temperature, the oysters are baked for 45 minutes, after which the indicator increases to 200 degrees, and the dish is given another 15 minutes to form a cheese crust.
After a little home training, handling oysters correctly in a restaurant will not be difficult for you, even if they are served closed. And it is quite possible that such an exotic product will become your favorite, and soon, cooked at home, it will taste no worse than in an expensive French restaurant.
Baked oysters are typically prepared by frying or baking directly into the shells using a variety of additives. In addition, they can be removed from the sink and placed on a baking sheet, sprinkled with garlic, breadcrumbs or oil on top, and then baked. Another way to get baked oysters is to roast them over an open fire using Worcestershire sauce or a little butter as a seasoning. Alternatively, oysters are added to pasta dishes or cooked into delicious seafood casseroles.
Oysters: how to eat the French delicacy correctly
Today, French delicacies in the form of oysters and snails are no longer considered something fabulous and inaccessible. You can enjoy the taste of these dishes not only in restaurants, but also at home by preparing a dish from frozen foods. Many people experience the main difficulty in the process of eating, because few people know how to eat oysters correctly.
You can eat oysters in different ways. The main method, which is most familiar to us, is practiced when oysters are the main dish, and only the sauce serves as their complement. When cold, oyster meat is eaten using dessert utensils, and when hot, it is eaten using cutlery.
Many restaurants serve oysters covered, arranged in a circle on a platter with ice. Lemon wedges are often placed between oysters. Oysters are usually served with a bottle of dry white wine or champagne. I remove the oysters from the tray with my left hand, turning it with the sharp end of the shell towards me. Next, take a knife in the other hand, which you will need to carefully open the shell doors. In this case, the blade is inserted horizontally and then rotated 90 degrees.
Once the doors are open, keep the oysters horizontal, as there is a small amount of sea water inside, which imparts a special spice. In the very center of the sink you will notice a thin film, which must be removed with a knife, cutting it in a circle.
Putting the knife aside, take a lemon wedge and squeeze the juice into the shell of the clam. The contents of the oyster must be pulled out by folding your lips in the shape of a tube, but this must be done quietly. Often this moment is considered the most difficult, so in many places oysters are served with the shells already open. In this case, their meat is removed with a two-pronged oyster fork.
For cooking at home, oysters are purchased frozen. These oysters just need to be thawed and served with a special sauce. But today, many housewives practice both baking shellfish and frying and steaming them. Thus, the appetizer turns into a full-fledged second course.
The outer shells of frozen oysters are washed with a soft brush, and then excess moisture is removed with a napkin. Next, you can start preparing the sauce. It is recommended to soak 1 cup of chopped shallots or red onions in 100 ml of wine vinegar, and then remove excess moisture with a napkin.
Next, you can start preparing the sauce. It is recommended to soak 1 cup of chopped shallots or red onions in 100 ml of wine vinegar, and then add a pinch of white pepper, sugar and two tablespoons of sherry vinegar. The sauce should be allowed to brew in a cool place for about an hour.
Sea shellfish - an exquisite delicacy
Oysters are rare guests in our homes. This is partly due to the fact that not everyone understands their taste. However, real gourmets will not skimp on the delicacy, wanting to fully feel the taste of the sea, exoticism and iodine with sourness - they will still try the oyster.
This sea mollusk was once brought to Russia by Peter I. Many events have passed since then, but oysters are still considered one of the most exquisite and expensive dishes that came to us from France.
You can cook oysters using heat treatment in different ways. The main rule is to strictly follow the recipe. A sea clam can easily be spoiled, so baking it must be done with extreme caution. This exquisite delicacy is combined only with certain products, for example, onions and other vegetables.
Where to eat seafood in Crimea: from red mullet to oysters
Crimea is a great place for a gastronomic trip. Even if you are traveling to the Black Sea peninsula on business, do not miss the opportunity to try local seafood. In the culinary world they stand apart. And we are talking here not about their cost or ubiquity, but about the benefits. The value of seafood for the body is difficult to measure: they are tasty, natural, nutritious, healthy and suitable for those who follow the rules of a healthy lifestyle. That is why in Crimea, a marine region with a variety of fish, most tourists look for seafood.
Baked Oysters Recipe
By preparing oysters according to this recipe, you can get an unusual and tasty dish. The proposed quantity of sea shellfish makes a relatively inexpensive, but original dinner for 2-3 people. If desired, the resulting dish is beautifully served, laid out on a platter, and decorated with herbs or grated cheese. The appetizer is prepared within 15 minutes.
For preparation you will need the following ingredients:
- oysters - 1 kg;
- cheese - 50 g;
- greenery - a sprig;
- garlic - 3 teeth.
Cooking oysters at home. Recipe for pearl oysters with photos.
We offer you a recipe for pearl oysters
. This is an excellent option for both a festive table and a romantic dinner.
We will need: 12 oysters, 1 bell pepper, 1 shallot, 2 cloves of garlic, olive oil, oyster sauce, Tabasco sauce, a teaspoon of honey and half a lemon.
Method for preparing oysters:
- Cut the pepper into strips and onion into half rings.
- Finely chop the garlic and pass through a press.
- Fry it all in olive oil for about 7 minutes and then add the remaining ingredients. Mix.
- Uncover and place the shell halves on a plate.
- Place a small amount of prepared filling into each of them and garnish with lemon slices on top.
As a rule, oysters are served on ice. It is better to eat them with lemon, because... the sour taste doesn't just complement the flavor, it makes it even better. You cannot salt this seafood, because... It already has enough of this mineral. A real pleasure is eating oysters paired with white wine.
Now you know the secrets of preparing this exotic dish. Or maybe you have your own recipe? Share with us! Bon appetit!
Oysters belong to bivalve mollusks and are found in warm seas. The unusual taste and nutritional value of oyster meat were discovered by man thousands of years ago. Nowadays, this product is a delicacy that is valued by gourmets and belongs to the elite of the gastronomic world. Oysters, the benefits and harms of which will be discussed in detail below, are a rather expensive product and retain their properties only when consumed fresh.
Their biological class relatives are similar to oysters in composition and appearance, but the latter have a coarser and simpler taste. Oysters and mussels, which differ in their modes of movement and lifestyle, are not interchangeable. Mussels often contain large amounts of sand inside and are not eaten raw.
Practical part
Cooking sea shellfish is not at all difficult. To do this, they should be defrosted, rinsed well under running water and placed on a baking sheet. The oven should be preheated to 180 degrees. Bake the oysters for 10 minutes.
In order for baked oysters (there is a photo of the delicious dish in the article) to impress everyone with their taste, you need to make a spicy dressing. You can prepare it while the dish is baking. In order to make the dressing, you need to grind the prepared herbs (dill), cheese, butter, garlic and salt in a blender, thus preparing a paste. After the oysters are baked, they should be removed from the oven and placed on a plate.
Using the resulting mixture you can give the dish a special taste. To do this, each sea mollusk is coated with dressing on top.
Grilled oysters
If you have a gas or charcoal grill, you can cook some delicious grilled oysters. You can fry them in halves or whole.
Grill them for 10 minutes until golden brown. Once cooked, they can be made into another dish or served hot with sauce. Traditional sauces:
- Onions fried in olive oil and seasoned with lemon juice
- yogurt or sour cream with fresh herbs or garlic,
- oyster sauce.
Oysters baked with cheese
The taste of the seafood delicacy prepared according to this recipe is usually complemented with wine. White wine with a subtle bouquet is perfect. Some people prefer dry champagne. In addition, there are baked oyster gourmets who drink strong alcoholic drinks with seafood.
For preparation you will need the following ingredients:
- oysters - 8 pcs.;
- red salad onion - 1 pc.;
- butter - 100 g;
- goat fat - 100 g;
- white wine - 300 ml;
- leek - 1 pc.;
- lemon - 1 pc.
You need to start cooking baked oysters by defrosting them. This must be done at room temperature. You should also know and remember that clams in shells are not stored for a long time, so they need to be cooked immediately after opening and defrosting. In the shells themselves, frozen seafood should be stored for no more than 3 days, clean meat with juice - for 90 days, provided that the temperature is below zero.
How to cook a seafood delicacy? To do this, the contents of the shell should be boiled in wine, then the meat should be carefully removed, and the hard shell itself should be carefully cleaned of dirt.
Leeks and salad onions should be preserved with pieces of butter, and then evaporated with a small amount of the remaining alcohol. Place the stewed vegetables in half the shell, like in a boat, and place the oyster itself on top of them. Grate the cheese and place it on top of the oysters, sprinkle with lemon juice and place in a preheated oven or oven. A delicious dish is being prepared until the cheese product floats.
Baked oysters are a very tasty and, most importantly, very healthy dish, the preparation of which will take about half an hour.
To make baked oysters you will need:
- fresh oysters - 20 pieces (preferably large ones)
- bacon - 250g
- leek - 4 large stalks (we will only use the white part of the onion)
- celery - 3 stalks
- bread crumbs - about 1 cup
- flour - 1 tablespoon
- dry white wine - 1 tablespoon
- heavy cream – 250ml
- grated cheese (preferably Pecorino Romanno) - 2 tablespoons
- butter - 1 tablespoon
- bay leaf - 1 piece
- Cayenne pepper
Let's start cooking oysters. First you need to melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add flour to the melted butter and heat for about 2 minutes. Mix the butter and flour constantly using a whisk in the pan.
After 2 minutes, add cream to the butter and flour, and continue to “cook” our mixture until it thickens. Cook on low heat.
Remove the thickened mixture from the heat and leave to cool.
While the mixture is cooling, cut the leek leaves lengthwise and rinse them under running water. Cut the onion into thin half rings. Peel and chop the celery with a knife or using a food processor/blender. Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in a frying pan until crispy. To help the bacon cook better, use a heavy-bottomed frying pan. You need to fry over medium heat. Place the cooked bacon on a paper towel to remove all the fat.
Place 2 tablespoons of fat left over from the bacon into the frying pan, add bay leaf, leek, cayenne pepper, and celery. Fry for 12 minutes over medium heat. After 12 minutes, add the wine and wait until it boils away. Then add our creamy sauce and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Wait until the whole mixture thickens, add cheese and bacon.
Take out a baking sheet and cover it with baking foil. Place shells with oysters on foil. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture from the pan on each oyster and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Place in the oven for about 6-8 minutes at 220C.
- The oyster stuffing mixture can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, as long as the storage container is sealed tightly.
- If you can't get fresh oysters, you can use canned ones.
- If you don’t have the opportunity to purchase either canned or fresh oysters, you can try using large green “kiwi” mussels in the recipe. You can find them in a large supermarket in the department where they sell frozen goods.
For most people, oysters are an unusual, if not completely unfamiliar, food, so the question of how to cook oysters interests many. Of course, everyone knows that this delicacy is eaten raw. But without the risk of contracting an infection, you can only eat raw oysters that have just been caught, and even then, not in all waters of the world’s oceans and not in every season of the year. And there is no question of eating raw shellfish purchased in our supermarkets, especially if the product is sold frozen. So for safety, oysters will have to be heat treated before consumption. This, of course, is not as aristocratic as swallowing live shellfish, but no less tasty and healthy.
Baked oysters
- 7 shells
- Red salad onion – 1 pc.
- Butter – 120 g
- Goat or sheep cheese – 120 g
- Dry white wine – 320 ml
- Leek stalk
- Lemon juice - tbsp.
How to prepare a delicacy? We boil the contents of the shells in wine, remove the meat, and clean the hard shell itself from dirt.
Sauté both types of onions with a piece of butter and evaporate with a small amount of the remaining wine.
Place stewed vegetables in half of the oyster shell, like in a boat, and place the oyster on top. Grate the cheese shavings on top, sprinkle with lemon and place in the oven until the cheese floats.
How to cook frozen oysters?
Frozen oysters must be thawed before cooking. If you want to defrost the oysters in advance, then place them in the refrigerator, and if just before cooking, leave them at room temperature. Thawed shellfish should be carefully inspected and washed.
Preparing to cook
If you find shells with cracks or slightly open, throw them away mercilessly, even after heat treatment they can cause poisoning. Wash the shells with a brush under running water; this should be done immediately before cooking. Never wash oysters in advance; fresh tap water, penetrating inside, will hopelessly ruin the taste of the mollusk.
How to cook oysters, you must decide in advance. All cooking methods can be divided into 3 types:
- The shells are opened and the oysters are removed and cooked without the shells. In these cases, the finished dish can be served on the shell halves, or separately.
- The shells are opened, the upper parts are thrown out, and the lower parts with meat are cooked like small saucers.
- The entire shells are heat treated.
With any of these methods, it is necessary to remember that inside the shells there is, in addition to meat, liquid that needs to be preserved, either by draining, or by cooking so that it does not leak out. To do this, when cooking, the oysters should lie horizontally, flat side up. To give shells stability, salt is usually added underneath them.
When opening the sink, wear gloves or wrap it in a tissue to protect your fingers from cuts from the sharp edges of the valves. Turn the clam with the flat part up, keeping it strictly horizontal. It is better to open the shells with a special oyster knife, but you can get by with a regular one with a short blade. Its end must be inserted into the recess between the doors, turning it like a key in a lock. Then slide the knife inward, separating the clam from the top flap, go along the edge and turn the blade to open the shell. Make sure no shell fragments get inside.
Baked oysters
Oysters baked in the oven are very tasty; we will describe step by step how to properly prepare this dish at home.
To prepare them you will need:
- 7-10 oysters;
- Dry white wine – 0.5 cups;
- Onions, preferably red – 2 large pieces;
- Lemon – 1 pc.;
- Butter – 100 g;
- Hard cheese – 150 g;
- Seasonings to taste.
Chop the onion and saute it in butter. When the onion begins to turn golden, add wine and simmer until the mixture thickens. Grate the cheese.
Shuck the oysters as described above. Sprinkle salt on a baking sheet to hold the shells horizontal and place the halves on the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 200°C and place the baking tray with oysters in it for 10 minutes. After taking out the baking sheet and waiting for the shells to cool a little, we perform the following manipulations with each of them:
- remove the oyster meat onto a plate;
- put onion stewed in wine on the bottom of the shell;
- return the meat to it;
- squeeze a little lemon juice onto it;
- sprinkle grated cheese on top;
- add spices if desired.
Pour the remaining oil into the pan into the shells and return the pan to the preheated oven for 5 minutes until a cheese crust forms. Place on a plate and serve hot.
How to cook frozen oysters at home. How to cook oysters.
Oysters are highly valued in cooking all over the world; they are more popular than any other shellfish, and are also much more expensive. We've put together some helpful tips for preparing and cooking oysters.
Tip 1:
Oysters in nature are found in shells, which are quite problematic to open. Before carrying out any manipulations with shellfish, first of all, you need to wash them thoroughly using a sponge. This way you will clean the shell of sand, algae, and bacteria.
In addition, it promotes tissue growth and regeneration and helps maintain normal blood flow. Finally, phosphorus is one of the components of cell membranes. Oyster mushroom is a source of potassium. In the body, it serves to balance the pH of the blood and stimulate the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid, which aids digestion. In addition, it facilitates the contraction of muscles, including the heart, and is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses.
Oyster mushroom is a source of iron. Every cell in the body contains iron. This mineral is necessary for the transport of oxygen and the formation of red blood cells. It should be noted that iron contained in plant-based foods is less absorbed by the body than iron contained in animal-based foods. Oyster mushroom is a source of zinc. Zinc plays an important role in immune responses, the production of genetic material, the perception of taste, wound healing and fetal development.
When buying oysters, do not forget to smell them in order to determine the degree of freshness of the delicacy. The mollusk must only be alive! The smell should be moderate, marine, and any other unpleasant or foreign aromas should alert you. It’s better to ignore such a product - health is more expensive!
Chefs use special knives for oysters, which they use to carefully and aesthetically open them. In this video you can see how to properly open oysters.
It also interacts with sex and thyroid hormones. In the pancreas, it is involved in the production, storage and release of insulin. It also promotes the transmission of nerve impulses and promotes normal growth. It also cooperates in the production of red blood cells and allows them to carry more oxygen. Pyridoxine is also necessary for the transformation of glucose, and this helps the immune system function properly.
Finally, this vitamin plays a role in the formation of certain components of nerve cells. This vitamin is involved in the production of all cells in the body, including red blood cells. It plays an important role in the production of genetic material, the functioning of the nervous system and immune system, and the healing of wounds and wounds.
Tip 2:
Oysters Rockefeller style
This dish is served in expensive and respectable restaurants around the world. For 4 large oysters we will need:
- approximately 60 gr. butter;
- 1 large clove of garlic (you can also take a small shallot);
- several feathers of green onions;
- a large handful of fresh parsley;
- a handful of fresh spinach;
- salt;
- ground white pepper;
- quarter tsp hot Tabasco sauce;
- 1.5 tbsp. crushed crackers;
- ½ tsp. pineapple liqueur.
Preparation: Remove the oysters from the refrigerator in advance; they need to be at room temperature. To remove excess water from the clams, place them in a colander. We clean the shells of live oysters from sand and debris. Let's open them.
Since it is necessary for the production of new cells, adequate intake is necessary during periods of fetal growth and development. Oyster mushrooms are distributed throughout the world in both tropical and temperate regions. They usually grow on trees, living or dead. Depending on the region, many species use their guest: maple, ash, beech, oak, spruce, larch, spruce, pine, hemlock, eucalyptus, hibiscus vine. There is even a species that grows almost exclusively on panicles, the meadow thistle.
In short, oyster mushrooms are opportunists that adapt to a wide variety of hosts. All they ask is to find their pennies, that is, the woody materials needed for their growth. Many species are edible and none are fatal. Oyster mushrooms have always enjoyed an excellent reputation as a food and, in some countries, as a medicinal plant. Cultivated in many places, they rank third in commercial edible mushroom production, after mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms.
Preheat the oven to 230 degrees, place the oysters on a baking sheet. Chop all the greens very, very finely. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add chopped garlic, then add the herbs, simmer and stir constantly.
Add liqueur, salt, pepper and crackers. Warm it all together for another 2-3 minutes. Spread the green mixture evenly between and on top of the oysters. Place slightly crumpled foil on a baking sheet so that the shells can stand firmly on it. Place all this beauty in the oven for 10 minutes or cook until the liquid around the clam begins to boil.
Trade oyster mushrooms are usually grown as a mushroom on a variety of substrates, including cereal crops or crop residues and cotton seed pods. Several other substrates are currently being tested and much remains to be seen in this regard.
China is the largest producer of oyster mushrooms of all types. It accounts for almost 90% of world production. The rest of Asia, America and Europe also produce. Worldwide, the production of this mushroom is growing rapidly. The oyster mushroom should be firm, not sticky and meaty. His hat should be light in color and free of red or greenish spots. This should give off a slight aniseed scent.
Serve the dish immediately. Some recipes suggest sprinkling the oysters with grated Parmesan, but that's up to you.
Tip 3: Grilled Oysters with Butter
We will need a grill, fresh oysters, butter, garlic, Parmesan, dried meat. A simple and very tasty recipe.
Preheat the grill over medium heat. Meanwhile, we clean fresh oysters and open them, leaving the clam meat on half the shell. Place on the grill.
It is recommended not to wash mushrooms with water. Being porous, they absorb too much water. Rather, they should be wiped with a damp cloth or paper towel, and then the damaged parts and soil base should be removed. Its flesh is quite hard, and the oyster mushroom requires relatively long cooking time. Its leg, even more elastic, should be finely chopped and cooked a few minutes before the hat. Sweat your hats and feet over low heat until they make their water. They can then be sautéed, sautéed or sautéed either alone or with other types of mushrooms.
Meanwhile, quickly heat the butter with crushed garlic. Immediately pour melted butter over the oyster shells. Cook them over the fire until the liquid in the oyster boils.
Place the baked oysters on a plate, grate with Parmesan, add a few drops of hot sauce and a couple of pieces of jerky to the shell. The dish is ready!
Add garlic while cooking and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Fry and sprinkle with grated Parmesan before serving over pasta, for example, or as an accompaniment for fish or game meat. When almost cooked, add beaten eggs to the pan and bake the omelette. I just grill on the barbecue with basting flavored oils with thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, garlic and lemon. They can also marinate for fifteen minutes in a mixture of orange juice, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil, which will fry together. Grill on the barbecue, turning several times. then place them in the mixture, add salt and serve. Cook gently in chicken broth or vegetables and serve as soup. Fry them and then add rice to make risotto. chop finely, fry in olive oil, then mix with garlic, shallots, fresh basil, oregano and a cup of chicken broth and vegetables. Stuff tomatoes, peppers and zucchini with this preparation and bake for about twenty minutes. Japan prepares snacks with small mushrooms, which are poached whole for a few minutes in boiling water. then simmer the mixture of dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar or honey for two to three minutes. Finally, we allow the mushrooms to marinate in preparation for two hours, drained and mounted on toothpicks or, better yet, pine needles. Drain mushrooms that retain liquid. . Oyster mushroom is one of the most perishable mushrooms and should be consumed as soon as possible.
Tip 4:
Classic oyster recipe
You need fresh and always live oysters. We wash them thoroughly with a brush. Carefully open them with a special knife. Place the shell halves with meat on a plate filled with ice cubes. Let's make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix good ketchup and white horseradish. Place the sauce directly in a bowl on a plate with ice. Add a few drops of Tabasco directly onto each oyster. Be sure to drizzle the oysters with a few drops of fresh lime juice as well. Serve immediately.
This may keep for several days in the refrigerator in a container or plastic bag partially open to breathe. We find, in the trade, various kits for growing oyster mushrooms at home. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, which vary depending on the substrate: test tubes, glass jar, Petri dish, sawdust, grain, etc.
Agricultural and industrial waste - production is constantly growing - causes serious environmental problems. The industry is looking for ways to recycle this waste. Uruguay has successfully tested oyster culture on “waste”, which is rice straw and citrus residues. The first goal was not the production of mushrooms, but the estimation of emissions from mushrooms. Indeed, under the action of fungi, wood and cellulosic materials such as straw or bark can be converted enough for use directly in animal feed.
Oysters, how to cook
this universal food product? Why universal? Because they can be baked, fried, boiled, steamed, and even eaten raw, straight from the shell!
Everyone probably knows that it is oysters that create beautiful precious pearls, but besides this, they also have great nutritional value. For centuries, oysters have been and remain a source of protein and other nutrients. Delicious and aromatic, they can be an appetizer, a meal on their own, or an ingredient in many other dishes that call for seafood or shellfish.
Thanks to mushrooms, they become more digestible and more nutritious, especially rich in proteins. Other experiments were carried out, including wheat straw and corn residue. We also managed to grow oyster mushrooms on coffee grounds, this time in order to make commercial production. Interestingly, thanks to the richness of this substrate, it is possible to shorten the production cycle of the mushroom within a few days and even increase profitability. Their culture has also been tested on cotton and tobacco waste, residual tea leaves, paper and sludge from its production, etc.
How to eat raw oysters
It is in their raw form that these shellfish are considered a delicacy. Therefore, the answer to the question “how to cook oysters” is very simple - no way! Many oyster connoisseurs prefer them "on the half shell," which means eating them raw with seasonings such as hot sauce, lemon juice or cocktail sauce. The Oyster Shooter is a cocktail that consists of raw oysters served in a small glass with vodka, Tabasco sauce and lemon juice.
Note: Hyperlinks to other sites are not updated on an ongoing basis. The link may not have been found. Please use the search tools to find the information you need. Pennsylvania State University. College of Agricultural Sciences. National Agricultural Library.
Systematic botany and mycology. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology. Antioxidant properties of several commercial mushrooms. The idea of eating something that's still alive doesn't make me happy. I like to make them in the oven with a good farce. When they start to blonde, add white wine, lemon juice, pepper and parsley. Open all your oysters with a knife or ask your fishmonger to do it for you. It's best to do this at the last minute. Preheat oven to broil. Remove oysters from shells and drain water. Place them on the oven rack. Place one teaspoon of stuffing in each oyster and sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes in the top position of the oven, just as the crackers are starting to gild.
- Made from cream wood.
- Brown shallots, pre-chopped, with olive oil.
- Allow to reduce and then leave the heat.
- Add the cream, mix well and reserve.
The iodine flavor goes well with the lightly grilled topping.
Sometimes oysters are served as an appetizer with various sauces. Raw oysters are always served cold and usually right on the shells and with coarse salt. Different regions of the world have their own variations in preferred seasonings and sauces for raw oysters. Many people even consider raw oysters to be a natural aphrodisiac. However, they can only be eaten raw if the oyster is alive. To make sure of this, you can drop a little lemon juice on it or sprinkle it with salt. The clam in the shell should begin to shrink. If such movements do not occur, then this product cannot be consumed raw, as this becomes life-threatening.
Hot oysters are another way to eat oysters. You know by heart the raw version on a bed of ice, garnished with lemon or shallot vinegar. Switch to hot oysters Simply reheat in the oven by stuffing or square warm oysters are very easy to cook and even allow you to appreciate the most refractory oyster.
Oyster is a must-have food during the holidays, but it is often unpopular, but oysters can sometimes turn off even gourmets due to their texture, so you can revive oysters by cooking them, heating them, pleasing them, in short, transforming them slightly to make them more popular at your table.
They usually eat live oysters not by chewing them, but by swallowing them whole. Some connoisseurs first remove the gills (the fringed part) and the muscle that brings the shell valves together on the mollusk. What's left for food? Basically it is a large liver and it is it that has all the useful elements and is easily digestible.
Why can these shellfish be eaten raw? The reason is that the oyster can “digest itself.” As we have already said, the liver is its biggest tasty part and it is it that contains a large amount of glycogen and the diastase enzyme. When we eat a raw oyster, diastasis interacts with glycogen, which is immediately digested in our digestive tract. Oysters prepared in any of the ways described below are much more difficult for our bodies to digest.
The secret of good oysters
The ideal is to simply warm it up. Ingredients for 4 people: - 24 oysters - 3 leeks - 100 g pepper oil. Carefully remove the oysters from the shell. Place a spoonful of leeks in the bottom of the shell and add the oyster. Place a little oil on each oyster. Place the oysters on the dripper. Place 10 cm from the grill and cook for 2 minutes, while the oil drains and the oysters warm up. Sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately. To easily open oysters, no more simple, follow our tips in If you are covering oysters with sauce or stuffing, increase the cook for 6-8 minutes. Please be careful of small chips and remove them before filling the shell to prevent guests from finding them under the date.
- Open the oysters.
- Empty their first water and let them rebuild their water.
- Thin leeks.
- Sweat 30 g of oil for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to broil position.
- Be careful, the oysters are already a little salty, so don't add salt.
- You can open the oysters one to two hours in advance.
- You can do the same with the garnish of your warm oyster.
To make your life easier, use small tricks.
Boiled, steamed or smoked oysters
How to cook oysters
, if you don't want to eat them alive? Oysters can be steamed or smoked. Different types of wood when smoking or seasonings when boiling will help give the oysters the special taste and aroma needed in this recipe. Add spices to the water in which you cook the oysters. Alder or apple wood will give oysters a characteristic aroma when smoked. Certain spices and woods are used to enhance the flavor, which often depends on the area where the oysters were harvested.
Baked oysters
Some recipes call for baked or fried oysters. Oysters Rockefeller, for example, are prepared by frying or baking oysters directly in their shells with various additives (such as butter and onions or just cheese). You can also remove the oysters from their shells, place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle breadcrumbs, garlic and butter on top, and then bake. Or, alternatively, roast them over an open fire with butter and Worcestershire sauce. You can also add oysters to seafood casserole or pasta dishes.
Oysters in soup and stew
Oysters are also often added to soups, cream soups and seafood stews. Bouillabaisse is a fish soup in which, in addition to other seafood, they also put oysters and clams right in their shells. Thick clam chowder is a seasonal favorite along the New England coast, and oysters play a starring role. At home, frozen oyster meat can be added to soups, broths and seafood stews to add a special flavor. They are especially pleasant in tomato and creamy stews.
How to cook oysters in shells at home?
In addition to baking in the oven, oysters can be fried, grilled or steamed. Let's look at how steamed oysters are prepared.
Steaming
Prepare the shells as described above, without opening them, and place them horizontally on the steamer rack. If you don't have this device, you can use a wide saucepan and place a colander in it. Pour no more than a liter of water into the container, adding half a glass of wine for flavor. After boiling, cover the container with a lid to allow the oysters to steam thoroughly. Steam the product for about 10 minutes.
After cooking, the oysters should open. Those that have not opened are stale and should be thrown away. The meat of the rest can be served with sauces, both hot and cold, and can also be used to prepare various dishes. There are many delicious dishes that contain oysters; recipes with photos of these dishes can be found in our article.
How to eat live oysters
- Once served, admire the presentation of the dish and move on to your meal. Lemon juice is dripped onto the body of the mollusk. If you observe slight contractions, then the product is alive and can be consumed.
- Oysters are served with a special fork with short and wide teeth. After adding lemon juice, take one clam shell in your left hand and a fork in your right hand.
- Bring the shell close to your face, remove the body of the mollusk with a fork and immediately put it into your mouth. Many restaurant patrons do not use a fork. In this version of eating oysters, the pulp is sucked from the shell. They do this silently, from the narrow side of the sash.
- Then enjoy the taste of the shellfish by holding it in your mouth for a couple of seconds. The pulp is not chewed, but immediately swallowed. The juice that remains in the sink is also drunk.
Among the most famous varieties are fines de Clare, Belon, English overseas Colchester and Whitstable, Irish Donegal and Imperial, as well as Silver Royal. Live oysters chill like a delicacy, and the whole spice of the pepper and lemon juice is too much for some fans. Warm oysters can be grilled, grilled or grilled. Fresh oysters should have tightly sealed bowls, contain salt water when opened and smell of the sea.
For example, Venus or the shell has a foot that can stretch between the halves of the shell to, for example, be in the legs with quick danger. On the Mediterranean coast, a nutty, light sea taste is on everyone's lips, preferably in combination with pasta. In German dishes, Venus mussels are still not particularly common, although the small shells are excellent as an appetizer, as a pizzabible or, as already mentioned, as an icing on pasta. After rinsing in salt water for 30 minutes, all samples are removed with broken shells.
Grilled oysters
To cook oysters, you can use a charcoal or gas grill. Once the grill has reached the desired temperature, place the oysters on the grill. They can be prepared either whole or in halves. Read above about how to properly prepare oysters for cooking.
You can determine the freshness and suitability of oysters for food by the following criteria:
- When opening a fresh shell, resistance should be felt; raw shells, slightly opened or easily opened, can cause poisoning.
- When heated, fresh oysters open; if the shellfish do not open during cooking, they are unusable and should be thrown away.
Cooking time for grilled oysters is 10 minutes. Serve the cooked clams hot with sauce or use for later cooking. The sauce is traditionally made with onions and paprika sautéed in butter with lemon juice, olive oil or yogurt with garlic and herbs, but you can use any other sauce to your liking.
How to choose oysters and how to open them
How to choose the right fresh oysters, how to open oysters with a knife, how to prepare oyster sauce.
Summer is over and oyster season begins. Remember in those months where there is a letter P, it is oyster season. Where there is no letter P, fertilization and reproduction of oysters occurs in those months. There is a lot of milk inside and therefore they are not eaten at this time. Oysters are calibrated in this way: the smallest is four, then comes three, here you can see that this is a three. We make four only to order, so it’s very difficult to find them on the market. The two is slightly larger than the three. The unit is even larger; we don’t have a zero, because it is also made to order. But these two individuals are wild oysters; they grow in the open sea. These three species are French oysters, these small fin de claires. These are the Gilardoes. These are white pearls. In the full name of each of these oysters there is the word cler, which means that they are finished, that is, desalinated in cler.
When choosing oysters, first of all, pay attention to the fact that the oysters are closed tightly; make sure that the valves are not open under any circumstances. Then, in this place you need to smell it, if the oyster spoils, this is where an unpleasant smell appears. Opening oysters is a difficult task. For safety, we will definitely need a glove; if you don’t have a glove, then use a towel folded several times. Place the oyster here; the towel also prevents the knife from penetrating. There are two types of knives, narrow and wide.
I have a wide one, as well as with and without a guard. It is best with a guard, because if you are not a huge professional and have not opened one and a half million oysters in your life, of course there is a danger that you can hurt your fingers. So the first method, this method is used by professionals in all French shops where oysters are sold. They clearly know where the junction of the two valves is. Upper and lower, so they take the wide part away from themselves in their hand, the narrow part towards themselves, and on the right side they stick a knife into the place where the two doors meet. At first glance it is not noticeable, but you should have a rough idea of where this place is. We stick into this place. There is a knife somewhere right in the middle, we rest our hand on a non-slip surface and carefully, pushing the doors apart, insert the knife inside.
Then we cut the muscle that holds the two flaps and open the oyster. The muscle is located somewhere in the middle. We remove the excess, we return the upper part to the lower sash and remove excess garbage if we have any. Next, we trim the lower muscle so that all the meat is separated and freely located in the sash. The second way is when we open the oyster at the edge. We insert a knife under the upper wall, press and tear off the muscle. When you open an oyster, you need to run a knife along the edge; if it contracts, it means it is alive. Try one and the other method and you will understand which way is more convenient for you to open them. When the oysters are opened, serve them with bread and butter sauce.
The first sauce is the most popular, red wine vinegar and shallots. We put it in vinegar, let it steep, then strain the onion and leave only the vinegar infused with onion. We drop it into the oyster and eat it. True gourmets believe that vinegar spoils the taste of oysters, so they eat oysters only with lemon. And third, my favorite sauce. It’s done like this: take an oyster, squeeze in a little lemon, a drop of Tabasco and a few drops of your sauce. And we put all this splendor into our mouth. In my opinion this is the best sauce. And the ideal appetizer for oysters is bread and butter. Cook easily.
Fried oysters
The most common way to cook oysters is to fry them in batter. Although this dish does not pretend to be particularly sophisticated, it turns out very tasty.
We don’t need shells to prepare them, so we separate the oyster meat from them, sprinkle with lemon juice and start preparing the batter.
For the batter, take 2 raw eggs for every 350 g of oyster meat and beat them. Then mix the beaten eggs with flour to the consistency of pancake batter, adding salt and pepper to the resulting batter.
Preheat a deep fryer or frying pan with refined vegetable oil to approximately 190°C. Dip the oysters in the batter and fry them until golden brown. Place fried clams on a platter, sprinkle with herbs and serve hot.
What to drink with oysters
Champagne is considered a classic drink for the delicacy. It is also customary to combine shellfish with dry white wine. Alcohol is served chilled.
Since oysters are considered an appetizer before the main course, you should not drink strong drinks. Although in our country some people prefer the traditional type of alcohol - vodka.
If you're visiting an oyster bar, then shellfish are the main course. In such establishments, the delicacy is washed down with light beer with lime additives.
Thanks to these simple tips, you can enjoy the taste of oysters and feel free to order this exotic dish in any restaurant. Bon appetit!
You can clearly see the rules for eating oysters in this video:
So that it doesn’t happen, as in one famous joke, where shellfish were chewed right with the shell, let’s look at how to eat oysters correctly. After all, they have amazingly tasty and tender meat with a distinct smell of the sea.
Oyster traditions
Europeans have been eating these shellfish for more than 2,000 years. As a result, a unique culture and rules have developed in this matter. So how to eat oysters? For example, it is believed that this mollusk should not be eaten from May to August: supposedly during the breeding season they are too fatty and tasteless. Now specialists from oyster farms are seeking to shift the “marriage period” in order to regularly supply their goods to store shelves. There are several types of edible oysters. The most delicious are those that grew at a water salinity of 20-25 ppm (Mediterranean, Atlantic). Their prices directly depend on their size: No. 00 are the largest and most expensive, “giant” oysters. Next come numbers 0, 1 and so on until number 5.
Ordering oysters at a restaurant
If you decide to enjoy fresh shellfish in a restaurant, ask the waiter not only the number of oysters. There are shellfish from the “full sea” – caught by fishermen, and “refined” – grown on farms. The latter are the fattest, since they grew in greenhouse conditions, but with a less characteristic taste. If you order fresh oysters at a restaurant, they will most likely be served to you already opened, with the shank trimmed, along with a special two-pronged fork. How to eat oysters in this case? It’s very simple: take a piece of lemon, squeeze it onto the clam (its body should wrinkle - this is an indicator of freshness), then pry it with a fork and put it in your mouth. You also drink oyster juice mixed with lemon. It is customary to serve these seafood with dry white wine (light, like Riesling) or brut champagne.
How to eat oysters at home
Our supermarkets sell fresh frozen oysters. This, of course, is not the same, but the seafood is still edible. And in general, maybe this is the only way to taste oysters for those who cannot just take and eat a living organism, even a simple one. The shellfish are slightly defrosted and served, laid out in a ring, inside which a lemon cut into slices is placed. All diners are given a clean plate and a small sharp knife. Place the clam and a slice of lemon on your plate. By the way, lemon can be replaced with vinegar sauce with shallots or black pepper. So, there is an oyster on your plate. The way to eat is this: with your left hand we take the clam with the pointed end towards you. We insert the tip of the knife, which is in the right hand, between the doors and push them apart until they click slightly. We see film inside. Carefully, as if opening a tin can, we cut it in a circle, pry it up and put it on the edge of the plate. We also trim the clam from below. We put the knife aside, sprinkle the body with lemon juice or vinegar and quietly suck out the contents of the shell.
How to cook an oyster
All of the above applies to raw shellfish. But oysters are also very tasty hot. They are opened, the meat is poached directly in its own juices, and then mixed with a variety of sauces, stewed vegetables, grilled with cheese, and the like.
Of course, oysters - huîtres - deserve to be included in the chapter “Fish and Seafood”. We will not tell you how to cook oysters. If you really want to, you can simply bake them in the oven, brushing them with Provencal oil on top. But the question inevitably arises: why? After all, oysters are tastier and healthier to eat fresh – if, of course, they are really fresh. Remember how Oblonsky from Anna Karenina interrogated the Tatar clerk in a restaurant: “Are the Flensburg ones fresh?” So, stale oysters cannot be eaten even when cooked!
A very simple recipe for homemade oysters step by step with photos. Easy to prepare at home in 30 minutes. Contains only 214 kilocalories. Author's recipe for home cooking.
- Preparation time: 13 minutes
- Cooking time: 30 min
- Calorie count: 214 kilocalories
- Number of servings: 12 servings
- Difficulty: Very simple recipe
- National cuisine: Home cooking
- Type of dish: Snack
Traditionally fried oysters
Since ancient times, oysters have been prepared by laying them on a hot sheet of iron. This traditional method can be used in natural conditions.
Light a fire and wait until the coals burn out. Place bricks around the edges of the fire and place a sheet of iron on them. In the absence of an iron sheet, you can use a steel grid with not too large cells.
When the steel surface is so hot that a drop falling on it sizzles, place the oysters in one layer and cover them on top with a wet natural cloth. Traditionally, burlap was used for this, but you can take any unnecessary clean item made of cotton or linen. After 8-10 minutes, the clams will be ready, remove them into sheets and lay out the next batch. Wet the dried cloth again and cover the shells.
Those oysters that remain closed after cooking are spoiled and cannot be eaten. Serve the rest while they are hot; this delicacy will seem especially tasty in nature.
How do you eat oysters?
The classic method of eating oysters is to eat them alive, raw, served on pieces of crushed ice and sprinkled with lemon juice. You can season the oyster with black pepper or dip it in a special vinegar sauce. In restaurants, in order to avoid dangerous situations, oysters are served already opened along with a special oyster fork with two prongs - this is an ideal option for the first acquaintance with oysters.
The question arises - how to open oysters at home? According to the rules adopted in countries where oysters are a common product, this is done using a special knife with a short blade and a protective device on the handle to protect hands from damage from the sharp edges of the shells.
If you do not have such a tool, you can use a regular knife with a short blade and proceed according to the following instructions:
- Rinse the clam in cold water and remove any remaining sand from it.
- Wrap the oyster in a kitchen towel to prevent injury.
- Place the clam on the table with the lid facing up and press down with your hand.
- Insert the tip of the knife between the flaps and move the knife, making gentle rotational movements, until you hear a characteristic click.
- Run a knife along the entire length of the gap between the valves and cut the muscle of the mollusk that holds the valves closed (press the knife from the inside to the top valve to avoid damaging the body of the oyster).
- Open carefully so that the juice does not spill out and remove the top flap.
- Run a knife under the oyster's body to cut the lower muscle that attaches the mollusk to the shell.
Oysters, the recipes for which number in the hundreds, can also be baked, boiled, fried, or cooked in batter. Fresh oysters can be purchased in special stores all year round, but gourmets prefer to eat oysters in the fall and winter - they taste better during these seasons.
Remember that the value of these shellfish depends on their freshness - if the oyster does not show signs of life when the shell is opened, then it has already died, and eating it will not bring much benefit. Some gourmets remove the fringed part with gills and muscles from the body of the mollusk.
Frozen oysters should be cooked immediately after thawing. Cook them for no longer than 1 minute. Heat-treated oysters, of course, lose many of their beneficial qualities, but remain no less tasty.
Are you looking at oysters with an appetite at a restaurant, but are you still embarrassed to order them? Cast aside all doubts! This article will help you understand all the intricacies of selection, consumption and etiquette rules when ordering a seafood delicacy.
How to cook and eat oysters?
Having figured out what oysters eat and drink and gained the right knowledge, you will be able to avoid ruining the impression of your first shellfish tasting.
- Oysters are considered a true delicacy if served alive. The shells of such mollusks are tightly covered and must be opened with a knife, held firmly in the hand with a towel or napkin. Fresh seafood is supplemented with lemon juice or sauce.
- In addition to eating raw, oysters are baked in the oven with cheese or with various sauces.
- For starters, you can cook a delicious soup with oysters, and for an appetizer, marinate the shellfish in a spicy marinade.
- When eating a seafood delicacy, it is important to know what wine is served with oysters. To maximize the taste of shellfish, they are washed down with high-quality, aged white wine or champagne.
How to eat oysters at home?
Correct information about how to open and eat oysters will help the lucky owners of quality live shellfish to have their first experience and make it as positive as possible.
- Take a thick cloth napkin in one hand and place the oyster on it with the flat flap facing up.
- At the junction of the valves, insert a knife and turn it until it clicks.
- A knife is passed in the center of the shell from above to trim the place where the mollusk is attached to the valve and its upper part is removed.
- To eat shellfish, use a special three-pronged fork or spoon, but if you don’t have it, a regular one will do.
- The oyster is separated from the shell using a device and put into the mouth, enjoying the amazing taste of the delicacy.
- For those who don’t know what to eat oysters with at home, you can simply serve the clams with lemon slices, from which you squeeze the juice directly into the shells before tasting. Suitable for serving with creamy sauce with garlic notes or any other sauce of your choice.
How to eat oysters in a restaurant?
When going to a decent culinary establishment to taste shellfish, it will be useful to know how oysters are served in the restaurant and how to eat them correctly.
- As a rule, shells in restaurants are served already opened and simply placed on a dish or on a bed of ice.
- The utensil used is a special fork or spoon, which is used to separate the shellfish meat from the shell.
- Sprinkle the oyster with lemon juice or add sauce, bring it to your lips and tilt the shell slightly, as if sucking in its contents, trying to do this silently.
- The juice from the shell is also drunk, after which the delicacy is washed down with white wine or champagne.
How to cook oysters at home - recipe
If you don’t want to eat raw oysters, recipes for cooking shellfish will allow you to properly process them to produce equally delicious culinary delicacies. The optimal heat treatment for seafood is baking in the oven. For pouring, use only brut champagne; anything else will not work.
Ingredients:
- oysters – 20 pcs.;
- champagne brut – 250 ml;
- shallots – 2 pcs.;
- Provençal herbs – 2 pinches;
- cheese – 100 g;
- bread crumbs – 50 g.
Preparation
- Open the oysters and place them on a baking sheet or in a mold.
- A teaspoon of champagne is poured into each shell and a little of the drink is poured into the bottom of the mold.
- Sprinkle the shellfish with chopped onions, herbs, grated cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Bake the oysters for 10 minutes at 200 degrees as usual and 5 minutes under the grill.
- There are no clear recommendations on how to properly eat oysters when they are done. You can enjoy the dish just like that, complement it with sauce or wash it down with your favorite wine.
Recipe for oysters in creamy sauce
Which will be presented in this section, will give the mollusks a delicate creamy taste, a slight spice, while maintaining their natural juiciness. Instead of cayenne pepper, you can use another one of your choice, and replace the shallots with sweet lettuce or the white part of a leek.
Ingredients:
- oysters – 500 g;
- cream – 600 ml;
- shallots – 2 pcs.;
- cayenne pepper – 1 teaspoon;
- butter – 100 g;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation
- Sliced onions are lightly sautéed in melted butter.
- Add sieves, pepper, salt, let the sauce boil.
- Add fresh oysters and heat for 3-4 minutes or until the shells open.
- How to eat it correctly is clear even without advice: the shells are laid out on a dish, poured with sauce.
Oysters in the oven - recipe
Another way to eat can be found in the following recipe. If you don’t have the skills to open shells with a knife, you can make your life easier and place the shellfish on a baking sheet with a bed of salt. Heating at maximum temperature under the grill for 5-7 minutes will ensure the shells open.
Ingredients:
- oysters – 1 kg;
- garlic – 4 cloves;
- butter – 100 g;
- parsley – 0.5 bunch;
- dry white wine – 100 ml;
- parmesan - to taste;
- salt.
Preparation
- Opened oysters are placed on a baking sheet with salt.
- Melt the butter, add garlic, heat for half a minute.
- Pour wine into each shell, add butter with garlic, parsley and a little Parmesan.
- Bake the shellfish under the grill for 7 minutes and serve immediately.
Oyster soup - recipe
If tasting fresh and baked shellfish is over, it will be interesting to learn how to eat oysters in soup. The ideal accompaniment for such a dish would be some rosy toast made from it. Heat treatment of seafood in a double boiler can be replaced by baking the shells under the grill until opened.
Ingredients:
- oysters – 12 pcs.;
- water – 300 ml;
- fish broth – 400 ml;
- heavy cream – 300 ml;
- lemon – 0.5 pcs.;
- salt, pepper, herbs.
Preparation
- The oysters are placed in a steamer and cooked until opened.
- Remove the meat and pour the juice into a separate container.
- Cream, oyster juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper are added to the boiling mixture of water and broth.
- Add oysters, heat the dish, stirring, but do not let it boil.
- How to properly eat oysters in soup should not be difficult. The hot dish is poured into plates, complemented with herbs and rye bread.
Oysters baked with cheese - recipe
Oysters, the recipe for which involves baking in the oven, even with just cheese, turn out incredibly tasty and refined. It is important to use a high-quality product of elite varieties, so as not to accidentally spoil the delicacy, but, on the contrary, to correctly emphasize its advantages with natural creamy notes.
Ingredients:
- oysters – 15 pcs.;
- oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
- grated cheese – 2 tbsp. spoons;
- lemon.
Preparation
- Open the oysters and place them on a baking sheet with a bed of salt.
- Mix the butter with grated cheese and add a little of the mixture to each shell.
- Bake the shellfish for 10 minutes at 220 degrees, sprinkle with lemon juice when serving.
Oysters in garlic sauce - recipe
Read on to learn how to properly eat oysters fresh or baked with garlic sauce. Here it is important to maintain the right balance of sharpness and piquantness, so as not to drown out the natural unique taste of the seafood, but only to highlight it qualitatively, making the dish even more appetizing and aromatic.
Ingredients:
- oysters – 0.5 kg;
- flour – 2 tbsp. spoons;
- vegetable oil and butter - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- garlic – 4-5 cloves;
- egg yolk – 1 pc.;
- lemon, salt.
Preparation
- Open the oysters, leave them fresh or bake them in the oven for 10 minutes, adding a little dry white wine.
- Grind the garlic in a mortar with a pinch of salt, add it to a sauté of two types of oils and flour.
- Add the yolk and lemon juice little by little and beat the sauce.
- There is absolutely no difference in how you eat oysters fresh or baked: the shellfish meat is poured with sauce and put straight into your mouth.
Marinated oysters - recipe
The original recipe for preparing oysters at home in a piquant lime marinade is in no way inferior to restaurant-quality dishes, especially if you provide the culinary masterpiece with an exquisite presentation. To do this, it is preferable to take beautiful portioned transparent glasses or bowls and decorate the appetizer with a sprig of cilantro.
Ingredients:
- oysters – 8 pcs.;
- avocado – 1 pc.;
- Tabasco sauce - a few drops;
- red onion and tomato - 1 pc.;
- yogurt - 3 tbsp. spoons;
- lime – 1 pc.;
- lemon, salt pepper.
Preparation
- Mix 2 tbsp. spoons of lime juice with Tabasco, chopped cilantro and onion.
- Place shellfish meat in the resulting sauce and leave for 20 minutes.
- Peel the avocado, puree it, mix it with two tablespoons of lime juice, adding yogurt, salt and pepper.
- Combine avocado puree with chopped tomatoes and place in bowls.
- Place marinated oysters on top.
How to eat frozen oysters?
Read more about how to eat frozen oysters. This option is assessed with indignation by experienced gourmets, who recklessly insist on uncompromisingly consuming the delicacy fresh. However, you can also get a lot of delicious dishes from frozen shellfish.
- Frozen oysters can be boiled in water and then served with lemon juice or any sauce.
- Shellfish meat will be more tender and delicate when cooked in cream, to which you can add aromatic dry herbs and fresh herbs.
- It will always be relevant to bake the shells with shellfish meat under grated cheese and sauce, to which garlic, parsley, butter or other ingredients are often added at your discretion.
How to eat oysters: videos and recommendations
Depending on how many people the oysters are intended for, their number on the tray varies from 6 to 24 pieces, but always in multiples of 6. In addition, the larger they are, the fewer there will be. The menu of most restaurants often includes 3 oysters in their pure form, and larger (up to 00) or small (up to 5) oysters are used as ingredients for other dishes. This should also be taken into account if you are going to implement any recipe containing oysters among its ingredients. Small types (4-5) are suitable for sandwiches and other cold appetizers, and for casseroles, soups, etc. 00 oysters are purchased.
The period in which this marine inhabitant was caught is also important. In France, eating oysters is practiced from September to April, since they actively reproduce from May to August. At this time, the shellfish become fattier, which not every gourmet will like. In addition, fishing for oysters in late spring and summer is prohibited by law, which was originally intended to protect these marine inhabitants from declining numbers.
It should also be noted that among oysters there are also species that are not suitable for consumption. Therefore, when purchasing frozen seafood in a store, pay attention to the data from the supplier or manufacturer. Portuguese and Adriatic oysters, as well as rock types, can be served at the table. Moreover, they can all have a different type of shell - concave or flat. You can also clarify the question of the salinity of the water in which the oysters lived. If the indicator exceeded 30‰ (ppm), the meat of such seafood is a bit harsh, so it has to be soaked in sauce for a long time and subsequently heat-treated. The standard value of water salinity, at which the optimal growth rate of shellfish and the taste of their meat is observed, is 25‰.
Fried
Prepare:
- 10-15 oysters,
- 100 grams of butter,
- 2 eggs,
- Lemon,
- Breadcrumbs (4-5 tablespoons).
The recipe is simple:
- Open the shells, drain excess liquid,
- Cook seafood for 2 minutes in lightly salted water with lemon juice.
- Beat both eggs, dip the oysters in them, roll them in breadcrumbs,
- Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the resulting seafood “in batter” until golden brown. You can melt animal fat and add vegetable oil (1 to 1).