Today, this seafood can be found not only in expensive restaurants, but also on the shelves of markets, supermarkets, and specialized stores. What could be tastier than fresh oysters with a glass of wine? And now you do not necessarily need to visit a restaurant, because you can enjoy their taste even at home. But in order not to spoil the product, you need to learn how to open the shells correctly. How to do it?
The main way to eat seafood is raw. Fresh, lively and tender oysters... Luckily, when properly stored, they stay fresh long enough that you need to keep them refrigerated. We recommend buying them on the same day you are going to eat them.
How to open an oyster at home quickly and easily? Despite the fact that this task may seem difficult to you, opening the sink will be quite simple, but before that, be sure to check out our tips.
In addition to oysters, you will also need a special knife. It definitely won't slip off and hurt you. Experts strongly recommend using an oyster knife, and not a homemade one or a screwdriver, as many do.
But if you do not have the opportunity to buy a special knife, use the usual one, choose a small model with a thin edge. At the same time, the knife must not be too thin, otherwise the sink will not open.
Before you start opening. You need to rinse them well under running water. cold water using a sponge to remove dirt and sand.
Step 1: Look at the oyster, it has a flatter and more cupped side. Hold it flat side up. Hold the oyster itself in a horizontal position. Now you need to find the gap between the two sinks. Insert the knife right into it.
Step 2: move the knife slowly between the shells, move the blade back and forth to rupture the adductor muscle. Be sure to keep the blade pressed against the inside of the top surface.
Step 3: Carefully remove the top shell. If there is meat attached to it, use a knife to cut it out. The meat and liquid (called oyster liqueur) will remain in the lower shell.
Step 4: Move the blade under the oyster meat and cut through the adductor muscle that attaches it to the bottom shell.
Repeat the procedure with the remaining oysters and enjoy! In order for them to retain their taste and freshness, we recommend putting seafood on a plate with crushed ice.
Serve oysters plain or with lemon juice.
At first, opening oysters will seem like a difficult procedure, but with regular practice, you will learn how to do it as quickly as possible. We advise you to buy an oyster knife and use gloves to prevent possible injuries.
How to open oysters: video
You also have the opportunity to watch a video clip that shows the entire process of opening an oyster.
Women's site site
Today, it is hardly possible to surprise anyone with exotic dishes; many outlandish products have already fit into our diet for a long time. Therefore, it will be absolutely useful to familiarize yourself with the etiquette in relation to shellfish and learn the theory of how to eat oysters correctly. After all, once you get to a French restaurant after that, you will deftly manage both appliances and shells, which is very useful.
What is an oyster
Familiarization should start from the very basics, that is, to understand who oysters are and what they are.
Many people confuse oysters with mussels, because both types are to the genus of bivalves. But the difference between them is significant. Oysters have an asymmetrical shell.
Eating shellfish began about two thousand years ago in Rome. And in Greece, oyster shells served as ballot papers: the name of the politician they voted for or against was written directly on them. Further, mollusks were imported to France and England, where until the beginning of the 19th century this product was considered food for the poor. But uncontrolled fishing has led to the fact that food for the poor has become a delicacy.
These shells reached Russia only to XVII century. Previously, only the Russian aristocracy spoiled themselves with oysters, but today mere mortals can also taste the dish: the cost of one piece costs about 200 rubles, depending on the type.
More than 50 types of mollusks are found in nature, but only 12 are popular. The most popular mollusks are from the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic, and species that live in warm seas, are not common because their taste is rather specific. Shells differ in shape - they can be divided into two groups: flat, slightly rounded and deep. There are both fatty and salty, with a taste of iodine or metal, or even with notes of melon.
Gourmets give their preference for wild shellfish. They are slightly smaller than farm grown ones and have a richer flavor. But their price is much higher.
Oyster classification
To date, these shellfish conquer the Russian public more and more quickly and profitably, because every supermarket already sells these delicacies. They are expensive, but sometimes you can pamper yourself, much harm, but it will not bring any benefit to your wallet.
The USA and Japan are the main suppliers of shellfish to the world market, but the most delicious shellfish come straight from the French coast.
They say that buy shellfish allowed only in those months, in the names of which the letter "r" is present, since from May to August inclusive, these bivalve shells breed and therefore the taste of their meat is very specific. During this period, the body of the oyster soaks and milk is formed inside the shells, which tastes bitter.
How to eat oysters
Among lovers of the delicacy, it has long been established the tradition of eating shellfish alive. If you go deep into the study of the tour of Japanese and French restaurants, you can easily see this.
Checking if a mollusk is alive is very simple: their shells are always tightly closed, if you push the shell a little, the mollusk will immediately slam shut. It is unlikely that you will find lively and fresh mollusks in our shopping centers, which is why they are content with a frozen product.
Oysters are eaten not only raw, but also baked, boiled, added to sandwiches and salads. Lots of recipes for cooking healthy shellfish for every taste.
Like any expensive product, oysters are not an everyday gastronomic treat. However, there are enough fans of the dish. An average of 770,000 tons of gourmet shellfish are eaten annually on the planet. The more interesting it is to learn how to eat them correctly.
How to choose the right oysters
First, let's try to figure out which oysters you need to buy, so that later you can enjoy their taste. It is believed that recognizing high-quality mollusks is no more difficult than choosing black caviar. Going for a delicacy, pay attention to:Shell appearance. Tightly closed doors indicate that the oyster is alive, ajar “doors” indicate that it is not worth taking. The heaviness of the closed shell is another indicator of the freshness of the contents.
Oyster sensitivity. After opening the sash, you should lightly touch the cilia of the soft mantle of the mollusk. If they falter, we can assume that the product is worthy of your attention. Too sluggish or, conversely, too mobile mass shows a deviation from the norm.
Mollusk type. All oysters are divided into natural and artificially grown in sea water. They differ in size, taste, color, smell, but, no doubt, all are good. The most popular varieties are: "Belon", "Sakhalin", "Fin de Clair", "Croes", "4 seasons". Naturally grown shells may contain pearls.
Number. The size of oysters is divided by numbers. 5 - the smallest (about 45 grams), 1 - the largest (can be up to 150 grams). The most popular sizes are 2 and 3.
Season. Oysters breed from April to August. It's not the best best time to buy a delicacy. He can be bitter.
How to open an oyster
Opening an oyster is no more difficult than an ordinary tin can, however, knowing how to do it:Wrap the oyster in a kitchen towel to avoid cutting your hands.
Insert the tip of a sharp knife between the leaves and turn the knife a little until it clicks.
Insert the knife deeper, pressing it against the top lid of the shell to avoid damaging the clam.
Run the knife all the way down the shell to sever the muscle that is resisting the opening of the valves.
When removing the top cover, hold the sink horizontally so that the juice does not spill out.
With a gentle movement of the knife, cut the lower muscle attached under the oyster.
How to open oysters, video tutorial
The better to open an oyster
For these goals will suit small ordinary kitchen knife In some countries, special devices with a short blade are used, equipped with hand protection. The edges of the shells are so sharp that they can easily cut the skin. 
Oysters and etiquette
Oysters are the food of aristocrats. They may well be submitted at the reception itself high level, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that there are certain traditions associated with this dish. 
How oysters are served
- It is customary to serve oysters on a dish lined with pieces of ice in multiples of six (a dozen, half a dozen).For the convenience of customers in expensive restaurants, shells are opened before serving.
For oysters, a knife and small forks are served.
Oysters are sucked out of the shell, but this must be done as quietly as possible.
What are oysters served with?
It is impossible to imagine fresh oysters without lemon, which is traditionally served in the dish. Some countries serve pomegranate juice, lime slices, Tabasco sauce, slices of fresh bread with butter. Oysters are usually not salted. The classic drink with the dish is white or rosé wine. The French love the champagne delicacy. The Dutch prefer to eat oysters casually with light beer. 
What to cook with oysters
The dietary product, literally stuffed with amino acids, also contains selenium and zinc, which are involved in maintaining libido. The shiny meat of shellfish seems to be fatty, but this is an illusion. It is saturated with glucose and contains only 60 calories per 100 grams of product. Thus, with oysters, you can lose weight without harm to health, using them in combination with other products.Japanese oysters in glasses
If you are not mentally ready to eat raw oysters, you can bake them with bechamel sauce, mushrooms, garlic, cheese, tomatoes, onions, celery. However, prolonged heat treatment reduces useful properties. Therefore, we recommend the following recipe.
Take slices of bacon and wrap the meat of oysters taken out of shells in them. Pierce the rolls with wooden skewers horizontally and fry on both sides in a pan or grill for 2 minutes. An appetizer can be effectively placed on hot mini-toasts of white bread.
Oysters are one of the most useful delicacies, however, there are a fairly large number of dishes that are dangerous for humans. The editors of the site invite you to get acquainted with food, for which people are ready to risk their health, and sometimes their lives.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen
Oysters are not only an exquisite delicacy, but also very useful product. Shellfish, in addition to low fat content, have many vitamins and minerals. And as you know, useful material in the product are preserved as much as possible in their raw form. So fresh oysters are used, but not only in terms of the content of components important for the body, but also because of the unique taste!
This marine product requires special attention and there are several rules for its use. After you have bought quality oysters of a certain type, you need to open them.
Usually, oysters are well washed when purchased. If there are shells and some algae left, then rinse each oyster. But this should only be done running water! Then pat them dry with paper towels.
Fresh oysters have a completely closed shell. The sashes are very tightly interconnected, so you need to open it very carefully.
There is a special oyster knife for this process. It has a short and wide blade, with a narrow point. And at the same time, it is not sharp - its ends are specially blunted to reduce the risk of cutting the hand. Such a knife will easily penetrate between the oyster shells.
Even a sink dried from water has a slippery surface. Therefore, open oysters with special gloves. They will not allow the oyster to slip out at the moment of opening and get hurt.
But if you do not have such a glove, then a regular towel is perfect for this. Wrap the sink in a towel and place it in one hand, holding it firmly. Use your other hand to open the oyster with a knife. To do this, insert the end of the knife into the place where the doors close (base). Pass a knife between the shells a centimeter and a half until it clicks. This will indicate that the sash connection is broken.
.jpg)
You should not run the knife deep, otherwise you can damage the oyster meat. Then turn it from side to side, lifting the top flap. You should not sharply remove it, no matter how you pour the juice inside the oyster. It is no less valuable than the mollusk itself. Separate the oyster meat with a knife and leave it on the bottom of the sash.
Oysters are served on a bowl of ice, so they will retain their freshness longer.
If you plan to visit a restaurant and order oysters there, then they will offer you 12 or 6 pieces. But before serving, they will definitely bring you oysters to confirm their freshness. Then they will open them in front of you and lay them on the ice. Separately for each guest, oysters are not served. They are on a common dish, from which you must take half the shell.
But here, too, you need to be careful. A live oyster should have gray-pearl-colored meat, opaque.
Do not forget about the smell of the dish. Although it is a seafood, it should not have a strong smell or not have it at all. The oyster has a subtle smell of the sea, which will be especially pleasant together with the smell of lemon or lime.
.jpg)
Oyster juice must necessarily cover the meat of the oyster. Without it, the dish is considered spoiled and should be discarded.
Oysters are usually eaten with the hands, but there is a special fork with long ends and a pointed edge.
In one hand, take one oyster shell with the tapered end facing you. Sprinkle lemon juice on it, which is served with the dish. If the oyster is alive, then a muscle contraction will occur from the lemon. She will then return to her normal state. But do not get carried away with lemon, otherwise you can overdo it and not feel the main taste of the dish behind it.
After the lemon, carefully separate the clam from the shell with a fork if it's still attached to it. Set the device aside. Try not to spill the juice. Bring the shell to your mouth and eat the entire contents at once.
Do not swallow right away. Enjoy the taste of oysters. To do this, leave the clam meat on your tongue for a few seconds, chew a little and only then swallow it.
Oysters are served with dry white wine, sometimes champagne. But a young rosé is also great. Strong drinks will only kill the unusual taste of the dish.
It is customary to use oysters as a side dish with tender avocado puree, butter on a baguette and, oddly enough, with caviar. Instead of lemon, you can use raspberry or balsamic vinegar, less often Tabasco sauce.
Bon appetit and unusual sensations!
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 appreciated 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.
Close to oysters in composition and appearance their biological class relatives are, however, the latter have a coarser and simpler taste. Oysters and mussels, which differ in mode of movement and lifestyle, are not interchangeable. Mussels often contain large amounts of sand inside and are not eaten raw.
Compound
Oyster meat has high nutritional qualities and surpasses even fish in this indicator. It contains:
- fats;
- a large amount of protein;
- carbohydrates;
- vitamins A, D, C, PP and group B;
- minerals - zinc, phosphorus, iodine, manganese, cobalt, fluorine, chromium and many others;
Beneficial features
Unusual chemical composition, which provides oysters with such an excellent and delicate taste, has a calming effect on nervous system, and the content of vitamins and minerals fully corresponds to the daily human need for these elements. Oysters, whose beneficial properties are combined with their low calorie content, can be called an ideal food for people who care about their health and appearance.
Such an important trace element for human life as zinc, which is found in oyster meat in a fairly high concentration, maintains the health of hair, skin and nails. This element is especially useful for men - it strengthens the reproductive function. Oysters are, i.e., a product that increases sexual desire.
To others useful properties oysters include:
- A beneficial effect on the hematopoietic system (hematologists note the benefits of eating oysters in the treatment of anemia);
- Positive effect on the nervous system;
- General strengthening effect on the body;
- Prevention and therapy of oncological diseases (the product contains fatty acids in large quantities, among which Omega-3 is a substance that can stop cell reproduction in malignant tumors);
- Increased performance and endurance due to the effects of thiamine, a substance also known as B1 and which is an accelerator of metabolic processes in the body;
- Prevention of thyroid diseases due to the high concentration of iodine in the composition;
- A positive effect on the heart and blood vessels due to the presence of sterols - natural compounds that.
In addition, regular consumption of oysters improves the emotional state, eliminates irritability and helps women in the treatment of cellulite (it would seem, where is cellulite, and where are oysters?). The low calorie content of oysters (only 72 calories per 100 g) makes them an ideal dietary component.
Possible harm to oysters
A categorical contraindication to the use of this product is an individual intolerance to any of the substances that make up the composition. People who are prone to allergic reactions to seafood should not risk eating oysters either raw or cooked.
You should not eat oysters and those who suffer from diseases of the stomach, spleen and pancreas. Pregnant women and mothers during the period breastfeeding the use of this mollusk is also not recommended.
The very process of eating oysters should be approached with caution. Firstly, you need to be 100% sure that the product is fresh, and secondly, each mollusk must be carefully examined for the presence of fragments from the walls of the shell - otherwise, damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive tract can occur.
How are oysters eaten?
The classic method of eating oysters is to eat them alive, raw, served in pieces. 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, oysters are served already open with a special two-pronged oyster fork to avoid dangerous situations - this is ideal for a 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 on the sharp edges of the shells.
If you do not have such a tool, you can use an ordinary knife with a short blade and proceed according to the following instructions:
- Rinse the clam in cold water and clean off the remaining sand from it.
- Wrap the oyster in a kitchen towel to avoid injury.
- Place the clam on the table with the lid up and press down with your hand.
- Insert the tip of the knife between the leaves and move the knife, making gentle rotational movements until you hear a distinctive click.
- Pass the knife along the entire length of the gap between the shells and cut the clam muscle that holds the shells closed (press the knife from the inside to the upper shell so as not to damage the body of the oyster).
- Carefully open so that the juice does not spill out and remove the top flap.
- Run a knife under the body of the oyster to cut through the lower muscle that attaches the oyster to the shell.
Oysters, whose cooking recipes number in the hundreds, can also be baked, boiled, fried, cooked in batter. Fresh oysters can be purchased in specialty stores all year round, but gourmets prefer to eat oysters in autumn and winter - during these seasons they are tastier.
Remember that the value of these clams 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. Boil them no longer than 1 minute. Thermally processed oysters, of course, lose many of their useful qualities, but remain no less tasty.
