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- Shucking an oyster can seem intimidating, but it's simple and safe once you get the hang of it.
- We enlisted the expertise of US national oyster shucking champion Isabella Macbeth to walk you through the process.
- The easiest way to shuck an oyster is through the hinge, though softer oysters may require a different technique.
Shucking oysters at home — or on the beach, a boat, or anywhere else — can be every bit as romantic and enjoyable as ordering them at the raw bar, not to mention much cheaper. The good news is that it's easy and safe to shuck your own oysters once you get the hang of it.
I've been shucking shellfish professionally, on and off, for nearly two decades, and probed some of the greats for their best tips of the trade along the way. And while I'm not the greatest or the fastest shucker alive, I've learned from some of the best about the various ways to shuck and serve oysters, including Isabella Macbeth, the 2021 USA Oyster Festival shucking champion, whom I rung up to make sure my own methods were still sound. I've also contributed to a book on the matter.
How to buy and store oysters
If you're buying oysters in-person, do your best to make sure they're alive. Look for tightly sealed shells and at least some sign of moisture on or around the shells. If you spot any open shells, give them a tap or two, and if they don't close, you'll want to steer away from that batch as they may already be dead.
Once home, remove the oysters from any plastic they might be stored in. This is important because they require oxygen to breathe and you want to keep them alive for maximum freshness and safety.
Then, place them in a bowl, pot, or pan, and cover them with a wet rag or dish towel to keep them from drying out. According to the FDA, the recommended temperature for storing oysters is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. And, believe it or not, they should last up to (and even well beyond) two weeks in the fridge at that temperature.
If your only option is to order oysters online, we recommend a reputable purveyor like E-Fish, Real Oyster Cult, Get Maine Lobster, or Citarella.
How to shuck an oyster
Step 1: Place oyster on cutting board, flat side facing up
You'll want to find the cup of the oyster, which is the markedly more curved side. Place it on the cutting board with the flatter side up and the cup on the bottom. This allows for both a cleaner shucking that protects the meat and also keeps the "liquor" or "elixir" (the natural juice) from spilling.
Step 2: Find the hinge
There are at least three ways to open an oyster with a shucking tool: through the umbo, or hinge; through the bill, or opposite the hinge; or through the adductor muscle. The hinge is the most common and, generally, the easiest point of entry. It offers the best leverage, and is easily distinguishable from the rest of the bivalve.
Locate the hinge, which is the pointed part where the two halves of the shells meet.
Step 3: Wrap the oyster in a towel
To protect your hands, envelop the oyster in a towel, leaving only the hinge exposed. For extra protection, you may also want to wear gloves.
Step 4: Insert your knife into the hinge
Find leverage in the hinge by inserting the tip of your blade between the top and bottom shell (about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch will suffice).
Step 5: Twist the blade 90 degrees to open
A moderate turn of the wrist without much pressure should pop the hinge. If not, reposition and try again.
Step 6: Separate adductor muscle
The adductor muscle, which is cylindrical and opaque, is the other part of the oyster's anatomy that holds it together, and the next thing you'll have to cut. Run the edge of your blade along the seam of the two shells with your knife held as flat as possible against the top shell, which will prevent you from cutting into the meat of the oyster while popping the adductor muscle free.
Remove the top shell and set aside for recycling or disposal as fit. Run the blade beneath the oyster meat in order to separate it from the bottom, or cup shell.
Step 7: Inspect for bits of shell
There's nothing like broken bits of shell to disrupt your enjoyment of an oyster, so look carefully and use the back of your blade to remove any bits you might find.
Step 8: Flip (optional)
This step isn't necessary, but flipping the oyster in its shell after shucking does two things: 1) it exposes any pieces of shell that may have broken off and fallen inside; 2) It makes the presentation prettier if you've damaged the top side while shucking.
To flip, scoop the oyster from beneath, turning and inspecting for bits of shell to remove. Once flipped, level out and try your best to match it to the other, ideally perfectly shucked oysters on the tray.
Step 9: Serve!
You'll want to keep your oysters cold, so it's best to serve them in a deep dish or an oyster tray that can hold some ice, and for extra pizazz, garnish the ice with seaweed or kelp.
As for condiments, anything goes, but the classic accouterments for oysters on the half shell are mignonette, cayenne-based hot sauce (Crystal and Tabasco are favorites), fresh lemon juice, horseradish, or cocktail sauce.
Choosing your shucking tool
The shucking tool you should use depends on the type of oyster you're working with. The biggest deciding factor is the shell. While entering from the hinge (or "umbo") is the easiest method, it doesn't tend to work on oysters that are farm-raised and/or come from fresh water where they're not conditioned to harden. A large, craggy, and brittle Chesapeake oyster is going to be far more challenging to open than a small, resilient Wellfleet oyster.
There are a vast array of shucking tools on the market, but something pointy, like a Chesapeake or Boston stabber will allow you to enter the bill or along the adductor muscle most easily, and a hooked point, like a New Haven blade has, will make leveraging and opening an oyster from the hinge easier.
New Haven blade: Best for hinge shucking.
Chesapeake stabber: Best for large, brittle Chesapeake Bay oysters that favor bill or adductor shucking.
Boston blade/stabber: Best for bill and adductor shucking (also doubles as a clam knife).
Galveston blade: Similar to a Boston blade, this wider, duller blade is best for large oysters like those found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Paddy Oyster Tool: Built with a pistol grip and a narrow, sharp blade and best for adductor shucking.
Other ways to shuck
Bill: The bill is the part directly opposite the hinge, which tends to be the more rounded side (though this can vary, oysters being the craggy-shelled critters they are). This is the best method for softer-shelled, and especially farm-raised oysters that tend to break easily. You'll want some variation of a stabber, which is a relatively thin, straight blade to pop an oyster open from the bill.
A side to side motion will usually allow you to find your way in, at which point you'll motion toward the adductor muscle, which is about one-third up from the bill on the right-hand side when the flat (top) shell is facing you. Wiggle the blade back and forth until the adductor pops. You'll then be able to remove the top shell, separate the adductor from the bottom shell, and serve.
Adductor: The trickier and more dangerous point of entry is through the side of the oyster, slicing directly across the adductor muscle. Hold the oyster in the palm of your hand (with a glove or rag) with the hinge at the base of your wrist and the cup facing up. Find an edge on the right side of the bill, and wedge the blade in toward and past the adductor muscle, separating the top shell. You should then be able to remove the top shell, separate the adductor from the bottom, and serve.
Insider's takeaway
Shucking oysters is relatively cheap, entertaining, and easy, and there's no reason you need to spend $3 to $4 apiece in fancy restaurants to enjoy them. The key to a good shuck is using a dedicated oyster knife to pop the oyster's hinge. If your first couple of shucks look mangled, flip the oyster in the shell for a prettier presentation.