Tips On How To Serve (And Eat) Oysters On The Half Shell

  1. Always keep the oysters really cold. They should be chilled when you buy them and kept cold, either on ice or in the refrigerator. The oysters should be cleaned before you buy them, but it doesn’t hurt to rinse them under cold running water and give them a quick scrub with a vegetable brush.
  2. The serving platter should have ice on it. If the cubes or chunks are reasonably small, the ice doesn’t need to be crushed. The ice keeps the oysters upright so that they don’t lose their shell liquor and it keeps them cold. Chilled oysters safer to eat and they taste better.
  3. Any cocktail, mignonette, or other sauces should also be chilled.
  4. Shuck the oysters and carefully place them on the ice.
  5. Oyster shells should always be disposed of into a land-based facility, NEVER into a body of water.
  6. To eat an oyster:
    • prepare it with a little sauce, fresh lemon juice, or the Julia Child way;
    • carefully pick it up without losing the shell liquor;
    • put the “bill” edge to your lips and slurp!

Enjoy “the taste of the sea barely made flesh!”