Last year at this time, we gave you some of the good reasons to splash out on oysters from the Bay of Arcachon. This time, we tell you how to choose them, and also, how to open them without losing a finger!
How do you choose your oysters when you don’t know much about them?
Among the star products of the festive season, oysters from the Arcachon Basin are always popular with gourmets. But how do you choose the right oysters?
If you like full-bodied, very tasty oysters, go for “spéciales”, which are fatter than fine oysters. Conversely, “fines” oysters, which are not very fleshy and have a fine mouthfeel, are more appealing to lovers of oysters with a refined taste.
By now, you’ve probably noticed that each oyster is assigned a number from 0 to 5. This number defines the size of the oyster.
The higher the number, the smaller the oyster. Thus, n°0 corresponds to a large oyster weighing around 150 grams. If you’re at a loss, opt for n°3. Neither too big nor too small, it’s sure to please everyone!
How do you open an oyster without hurting yourself?
All it takes is one misguided gesture to turn New Year’s Eve into an evening in the ER. So how do you open oysters with a knife without hurting yourself?
- Arm yourself with a short, thick, sharp blade, ideally an oyster knife.
- If you’re right-handed, grasp the oyster in your left hand, with the hinge (the pointed part) on your side and the flat side of the shell facing upwards.
- Place your thumb at the tip of the knife and insert the blade 2/3 of the way up the shell into its right-hand slot.
- Cut the foot holding the closed oyster, without forcing it, using a back-and-forth movement.
- Leverage the blade and you’re done!
Don’t forget to remove any broken shells. And since a good video is worth a thousand words, here’s a demonstration HERE.
Some prefer the microwave oven! Oysters are wrapped in cellophane on a plate and heated for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on their size. Others microwave them for a few seconds in a container filled with water. In both cases, the oysters will open slightly, which makes the task much easier.