Raw oysters in shells

Votes: 1

Time: 30 min.
Complexity: easily
Quantity: for a large company

This recipe details how to properly shuck and serve fresh oysters in the shell. Prepare a large platter of crushed ice to keep the shells stable, and be sure to collect any delicious juices as you shuck to re-dip them. Raw oysters are traditionally served with mignonette sauce. Make a cucumber version of the sauce with ginger, shallots, cilantro, and rice vinegar, serve it in small bowls next to the oysters, and enjoy.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Oysters

24 oysters, such as Malpeque, Kumamoto or Belon
Crushed ice or rock salt

Cucumber Mignonette Sauce

1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 shallot, chopped
2.5 cm fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
Half a greenhouse cucumber, peeled and chopped
A little freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Hot sauce

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Scrub the oysters with a stiff brush under cold water to remove any dirt, especially around the seam where sand tends to get stuck. Then, find a sturdy, thick cloth and fold it several times to form a square; this will make it easier to hold the oysters and will protect your hand when opening them. Using a towel as a mitten, place the oyster, convex side down, in your towel-covered palm; place a small bowl nearby to catch the delicious juices.
Insert the tip of an oyster knife or a dull butter knife as deeply as possible into the oyster; do not pull sharply, as this may crack the shell. Gently twist the knife back and forth to open the shell. Use the knife to cut the muscle from the top shell, bend the shell back, and discard. Run the knife under the oyster to completely detach it, but leave it in the shell. Pour the brine into a bowl and pour it over the shucked oysters again.

Place the oysters on a bed of crushed ice or rock salt to keep them from falling. Drizzle with mignonette sauce and serve.

Cucumber Mignonette Sauce:

In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, black pepper, hot sauce and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Exit: 1 tbsp.