Last updated: 18 November, 2024 @ 12:04
What could be easier than an oyster with a dash of lemon or a drop or two of tabasco? Nothing, is the correct answer. They’re also great with a healthy splash of lime or a mignonette (a shallot vinaigrette). The whole ‘champagne and oysters’ thing doesn’t really appeal to us, we prefer to eat them alongside a beer – but that beer must be really, really cold.
Oyster recipes
There’s an interesting oyster recipe that’s worth a try from Kay Plunkett-Hogge’s, Aperitivo – Oysters with an Italian mignonette, which is a nice twist on a classic.
Of course, oysters needn’t be eaten cold, they can be grilled, baked, poached, fried in tempura….They appear in pies and stews and stuffing and loaves. There really is plenty of options when it comes to oyster recipes.
In terms of recipes found in cookbooks, Jane Grigson’s Fish has recipes for oyster Rockefeller, oyster omelette and oysters in a white wine sauce, amongst others. And in J. Sheekey Fish, there’s a cracker for watercress soup with poached oyster.
Last word on oyster recipes
But we’ll leave the last word on oyster recipes to the late, great Keith Floyd. ‘The very best oysters that I have ever had were at the George Hotel at Bridport, when I ate 40 beauties from Poole to celebrate my birthday,’ he writes. ‘It is unthinkable to cook oysters…a good oyster needs only a hint of lemon juice, good company and a hearty appetite. For fun.’
This is our review of Floyd on Fish.
Buying oysters
Two golden rules when buying oysters – trust your eyes and your nose. A healthy oyster will be firmly closed and will smell of nothing else other than the sea. If possible, weigh the oyster in your hand. If it feels heavy and full then you know you’re on to a good one.
Opening oysters
This YouTube video of someone opening an oyster, is a great example of how to do it. Our advice is to take your time and invest in a good oyster shucker.
Seasonality
Available all-year round. My preference is to eat oysters in the winter months when the water is colder.
Sustainability
The latest Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide rating for the Pacific and rock oyster is here.