How to Cook Oysters

How to Cook Oysters How to Cook Oysters Oysters can be eaten raw as well as cooked. The cooked oyster is a traditional dish which has remained popular throughout last few centuries. You have to purchase fresh and live oysters to eat it raw or cooked. You can check the freshness of the oysters from the closeness of its shells. You should buy tightly closed oysters which do not smell briny or fishy. You can buy fresh oysters directly from the company which harvests them or purchases oysters from stores packed in ice. After bringing the oysters to your home you have to keep those chilled before using. When you are ready to cook the oysters, bring these out of the refrigerator and scrub the outside shell with a nail brush while cool water is still running over the shell. People eat raw oyster simply by wedging an oyster knife into the shell and cracking the shells open. The oyster will be exposed once the shell is cracked. You can use the oysters for cooking after cracking their shells.

Instructions

Just like other food items, the oysters also differ based on their size and age. The smaller and young oysters tend to be tenderer. The raw oysters are always served chilled on a bed of ice. The raw oysters are eaten with a dash of hot sauce and lemon juice. The oysters are served along with thinly-sliced and buttered pumpernickel or crisp thin crackers.
You can shuck the oysters easily by relaxing the muscles. You can relax their muscles simple by putting the oysters in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes and removing after the time. Similarly, you can use the freshly-shucked oysters for broiling, smoking, or baking on the half-shell.
For using the oysters in a cooked dish, you can stem the oysters for few seconds or put them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds on high. You have to continue the process till the shells are opened completely. Now you can cut the flesh from the shells and continue with the recipe.
You also need not use salt in your recipes as the oysters are salty by nature and add natural salt to the dish while cooking.
While cooking the oysters, you have to cook them gently and ensure that the oysters are not turned into a rubbery, chewy waste of good shellfish. Also you have to remove the oysters from heat as soon as the edges start curling due to enough heat.
The oyster can be paired well with a number of herbs like, thyme, fennel seed, paprika, and parsley.
You can also season the oyster with butter or sauce after it is opened. You can also add a mild smoky flavor to the oysters by putting it on a grill. The oysters should be put on the grill for barbecuing will the shells are opened up. After the shells are opened you can add the seasoning or sauce and grill the oysters again till the edges are curled.
Some people even like to shuck the oysters before cooking. After shucking the oysters are tossed into a pan and added at the last minute for not turning rubbery.