Go to the Article: Tips & Tricks: Quickest Way to Shuck an Oyster
I have used the "crowbar" method on hundreds of oysters. Too cool! Thanks again for another major pro tip. Too cool! Going to get a dozen now. *scratching head*
What variety of oyster did you use in the video? We grow both diploid and triploid (seeds from Taylor Shellfish). Not sure if this method will work as seamlessly. Any suggestions?
-Laurie
LOL! Looking forward to the CS blooper's reel. :-)
Great shucking tip, and funny.
It looked like he was using a Kushi oyster. If not into smaller oysters you can also opt for a stellar bay they are identical in flavor and texture. The size is the only difference.
Great tips, but that's not how Arya Stark shucks them. Bam!
Nevertheless, I like your moxie.
If you shuck around very much, better get a butcher's mail glove. And good oyster knives are super cheap compared to those damascus blades you mince shallots with. Oyster knives are well worth the money--and the glove will pay for itself the first time the knife slips (whether it's an oyster knife or not.)
This is a very good tip for those who have limited experience with it.
Great Shucking! I have a S Steel glove & French Oyster knives, lasted years & no damage since I stopped using my Dive knife!
The Pro's in Tasmania hit the Oyster on the centre of the shell with the handle end, then open saying it constricts the oyster & makes it easier, I find this works well with bigger Pacific Oysters.
In Bangkok at Paragon they have Live Air freight French, CA, USA, Japan & 3 types Aussie oysters, the Marennes-Oléron oysters from France are considered the best at $3 each but the 3 Aussies come in 2nd at $1 each.
I am not game to eat the Thai ones as no ice is used & once shucked they just sit in plastic bags at about 34c, this is at the oyster farms near where I live,,,,, great for Gastro
I love you guys and your videos, but this is the first time I am on the fence/take exception. I shuck "professionally" and bill shucking with a sharp knife is a poor choice if you have no glove or are inexperienced. Yes, you can wrestle with the hinge at first, but once you get the feel, most oysters take little effort, and if you slip you are going to (generally) be the less worse for wear (using a traditional knife). That said, note that there are many styles of oyster knives to choose from so you can find one that works best for you (check out New Haven style, Boston style and Duxbury to name a few). The West coast oysters you demonstrated pop open from the hinge like butter. Some of the beasts to on the East coast I deal with, not so much. So Grant, come on out and I will shuck you a whole plate from the hinge with nary a shell fragment to be found!
Did I mention I love you guys?
Grant Lee Crilly
Mother shucker
Lol, too funny!!
Were those kushi oysters?
That's the smallest and most even-edged shell I've ever seen on an oyster. I have regrettably bent the blades on a couple of expensive knives, too. (Not shucking oysters.) C'mon, Grant, show us how to do it with large gnarly irregular shelled oysters! PLEASE!!!
I used to shuck, "professionally," as well as Bruce, and after traveling all over North America to shuck for work, as well as in tournaments, and having a number of shuckers show me "the right way," to shuck, if I've learned one thing, it's that there's always more than one way to skin a cat. On a deep water-cultured/tumbled oyster like this Kusshi, you can pretty much open them any way you like, front or back, and Grant's method is perfectly fine. From someone who went all the way through his hand once, be careful with the paring knife (or use a clam knife) - I killed a beautiful Shun parer doing exactly what Grant did on an Olympia. At the National oyster shucking finals in Maryland, most of the contestants are from the East Coast or the Gulf - typically, most of the top ten finalists open from the front, as this excellent video illustrates, or from the side. A lot of the Gulf finalists open in a similar fashion, but turn the oyster upside down and serve it on the top shell (I never understood this practice, but it leaves minimal shell pieces for penalty points and is very fast provided the box of oysters you get are relatively consistent. Most West Coast shuckers open oysters from the hinge (aka "the normal way"), and some open from the hinge "freestyle," holding the oyster up in their hand instead of using down on the table. At the end of the day, you need to understand different techniques and occasionally vary yours to fit the species - the goal should always be to preserve the dignity of the oyster and not scramble it like an egg because you're in a hurry.
We filmed some of those and it does work just the same. But realistically, here in the northwest we only eat smaller tumbled oysters like these. The ones on the beach are great, but we are a bit spoiled up here with the many dozens of varieties.
I would never recommend using a nice knife for something like this. You can see in the video that is a cheap, plastic handled things. http://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Paring-Knives-Colors/dp/B005R347J0/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1435265964&sr=8-11&keywords=paring+knife
Yes!
I guess in my experience, I have seen plenty of people stab their hands open with an oyster knife and oyster shell because they were applying so much force. With this technique, its more about finesse, picking the lock instead of using a crowbar via the hinges. So there really is never an opportunity to cut yourself here.
This technique will work with any oyster for sure. Even the large ones with extra files of shell can be shucked the same way.
Very nice tips. I visited your video. Your video so nice and very useful.
The "crowbar method" sounds a little harsh (and misleading). In North Carolina on the coast we have big oysters ,sometimes in clusters, that are hard to open from from front. Besides we use rounded short oyster knives. Use a towel to hold oyster, 'choke up' on the blade, open at hinge and you will not be able to slip and cut yourself, ever.! But do whatever works for u and ur oysters.
Did they teach you this technique at Ferrandi? I have rarely seen the technique anywhere else. (Chef DeMassard recommended your site highly)
My girlfriend comes from Bordeaux and grew up shucking oysters but had never seen this technique before either.
My battle with oysters is somewhat legendary in this house - and its because I am either exceptionally challenged on oyster anatomy or more likely, suffer from pretty severe arthritis - so even simple things requiring hand strength can be a challenge. I loved this method - just to get a little head start. About 50 seconds in the stove top jacuzzi and then in the ice plunge, and whala..... an easier to open oyster experience. I didn't wait to see anything opening - so no loss of precious liqueur and the result: the ability to shuck 2 dozen before I even finished my first glass of wine! (So about 10 minutes of effort compared to at least and hour historically). I didn't see any mention of adult beverages listed in your instructions but assume that to be compulsory! Thanks for the great tip.
Only shuck oysters with a dedicated oyster knife. By the time you mess around boiling them and risking loosing all the natural juice you could have eaten them by shucking the traditional way. All about technique.
