Shucking oysters

[DoctorShavegood]

Recently I tried my hand at shucking oysters because they have been coming in to our local supermarket super fresh. For $5 I get 9 big oysters. That's a great price compared to the local oyster bar at $16-$25 per dozen. Anyway, I got them home and realized I had no shucking knife. I searched around for something comparable, a butterknife is no good and nether is a pairing knife. So, I ended up using a small headed screw driver that I had sharpened in the past. It worked like a charm, but I need to get the right knife and a better technique.

I just love fresh oysters.

What's your technique in getting those babies open?

 

[ackvil]

 

[dangerousdon]

You mean...other than slicing my hand open? Yes I have done that. When I was in High School I worked for a seafood deli. I mostly peeled shrimp and fixed poboys. But ever so often I would shuck oysters. The YouTube video above pretty much has it down. Once you do it for a bit, you get fast at it. The screwdriver thing works in a pinch if you do it right. Get yourself an Oyster knife off Amazon. Don't pay more than $10.00 for one, the expensive ones work the same as the cheap ones and if you break it...and you will...you don't want to be out of pocket. Also, don't worry about the gloves that guy in the video was wearing. Just pick up some cut resistant gloves for under $15.00. If you want extra padding, just slip on some workout gloves under them. Hope this helps.

 

[Alacrity59]

I was hoping to see a pearl. Sheesh it has been about 30 years since I had fresh oysters.

 

[BSAGuy]

How do I do it? Oyster bar!

 

[Shave_Rat]

It's all very simple, I trade the oysters for steak, and the shucking knife for a fork. Problem solved.

 

[simon1]

I've been to oyster bars all along the Gulf Coast, and have seen the shuckers that could do it in about 2 seconds apiece. No way I'm that good.

I just picked up one of these cheap things several years ago.

What in the heck is happening with the insert picture? It worked fine yesterday and now I had to go to photobucket and upload then copy and paste the img.

 

[kelbro]

Oh how I miss the Texas gulf coast. We would pop those jokers off the reef while wadefishing. Warm salty oysters are OK but I would much rather have them cold.

 

[cleanshaved]

I let the guys in Bluff do it. These guys make it look easy.

 

[dpm802]

I've never tried shucking myself ... on those occasions when I feel like having raw oysters I just head down to a raw bar and watch somebody else do it behind the counter.

I've noticed that no matter where I go, the shuckers all have enormous biceps ... including the women in that profession.

I guess having the proper knife would be a good thing. For a job like that, I think the size and shape and material of the handle would be just as important as having the right blade.

My favorite place is Nick's Seafood Bar and Samurai Sushi at the Cross Street Market in Baltimore, but most of the time I go there its for the Sushi first, and the oysters only if I'm in the mood for a second round. www.nicksoysterbar.com

 

[Jim]

My weapons of mass consumption in the lowcountry.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

My weapons of mass consumption in the lowcountry.

Jim, I like your blue dagger. You might have to give me the name.

 

[dundak]

In Maryland we used to use an old church key (to punch holes in juice cans) and pop the hinge. You can easily do a dozen or two a minute when you get the hang of it

 

[simon1]

Oh this is so making me want to broil some with parmesan cheese and some butter and then hot sauce.

Or just raw.

A guy at an oyster bar in New Orleans showed me how to shuck them, and gave me the house recipe for the red sauce that I still use to this day.

Those are some nice shell crackers there, Jim.

Chris...that fishing boat reminds me of the wife's Dad, and her brother, that did shrimping out of Corpus Christi. BIL can tell some stories about storms and fog when out to sea a few miles.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Oh this is so making me want to broil some with parmesan cheese and some butter and then hot sauce.

Or just raw.

10-4 on that.

Ah, I mean +1

 

[DCRIII]

It's all very simple, I trade the oysters for steak, and the shucking knife for a fork. Problem solved.

+1

 

[Jim]

Jim, I like your blue dagger. You might have to give me the name.

Carolina Oyster Knife

In the video Jim Posted shows the towel method. This works great if you don't do them often . I would suggest that you use a longer towel and flip it back over your hand so if you slip you have a few layers of cloth between you and your blade.

 

[kelbro]

In Maryland we used to use an old church key (to punch holes in juice cans) and pop the hinge. You can easily do a dozen or two a minute when you get the hang of it

Same here. Mine was a Falstaff.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Jim, I like your blue dagger. You might have to give me the name.

I will call it George.

I cannot do oysters. Fried are okay, the thought of eating them raw makes me retch.

 

[simon1]

Owen...you can't eat raw oysters?

Egad man...what is this world coming to.