Lemon juice on an oyster is an easy way to enhance its natural briny flavor. Think of this as the purist's version of an oyster sauce. Just a dash of lemon juice lets you appreciate all of the oyster's flavors by complementing and enhancing them.
Lemon juice is an easy way to amplify the flavor of the oyster, without compromising the taste of the "merroir" — the water profile of the place where the oyster is grown.
Eating raw oysters with hot sauce and lemon juice will kill the bacteria and viruses that can cause food-borne illness.
Fully cook them before eating, and only order fully cooked oysters at restaurants. Hot sauce and lemon juice don't kill Vibrio bacteria and neither does alcohol. Some oysters are treated for safety after they are harvested.
Most of the time, you'll see oysters or clams served on a bed of crushed iced with lemon wedges, hot sauce, and a mignonette sauce (more on this later!). The top shell is popped off to reveal the meat on the inside sitting in the bottom shell. You're meant to eat them on their own or with the condiments.
Just a dash of lemon juice lets you appreciate all of the oyster's flavors by complementing and enhancing them. All you need to do is squeeze a fresh lemon or lime wedge over your freshly shucked oysters and slurp.
Once shucked and served, the oyster meat should be surrounded by the oyster's liquor - the small pool of clear sea water in the bottom of the cupped shell. The oyster's liquor is robust in flavour, and is essential to the oyster's taste experience.
Yes! Oysters are a superfood that are packed with nutrients and minerals. This is based on their nutrition-to-calorie ratio, which is higher than most other seafood and even some fruits and vegetables. An average serving of oysters contains just under 30 calories but packs in a whopping 8 grams of protein.
Add the Right Sauce
While we recommend starting with raw oysters with a bit of lemon juice to thoroughly understand the taste, there are other sauces to make your experience even better. One of the best sauces for oysters is a mignonette sauce. It's made with shallots, vinegar, and cracked pepper.
Citrus fruits are often used in cooking to “brighten” flavors and work well to counter many of the briny flavors present in seafood. This is why lemon and fish can go so well together. The salt and the acid balance each other while doing a little flavor dance on the palate.
Many people who eat raw oysters garnish them with lemon juice, cocktail sauce, or a Champagne mignonette sauce as a companion condiment. However, oysters can also be fried, baked, steamed, or stewed.
How Do You Prepare Oysters Before Shucking? It's vital to clean your oysters well before shucking. Use a stiff-bristled brush to remove sand, dirt, and debris. You can also put your oysters into a cold icy saltwater bath to soak for an hour in order to purge them of sand and grit.
Heart Health
Oysters are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are a healthy fat. Omega 3's have been shown to reduce the chance of plaque accumulation in blood vessels. The vitamin E in oysters also protects against heart disease by strengthening cell membranes.
The way to kill harmful bacteria in oysters is to cook them properly. Hot sauce and lemon juice don't kill Vibrio bacteria. Drinking alcohol while eating oysters doesn't kill Vibrio bacteria either. Cooking oysters properly kills harmful bacteria.
Follow these steps to protect yourself and others from norovirus: Cook oysters and other shellfish thoroughly before eating them (at least 145 degrees); quick steaming is not enough. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water often.
We're often asked, “Are you supposed to chew oysters?” and we're here to tell you that despite what you may have heard, it's not recommended to swallow an oyster whole. Biting into the oyster allows flavorful juices to escape and enhances the overall savoring experience.
How many raw oysters can you eat in a day? You should only consume 3-6 raw oysters in a day. Oysters are nutrient-dense and low in calories; however, they are also high in cholesterol, which can concern some people. Overeating raw oysters has a high risk of food poisoning from Vibrio bacteria.
Nutritional Content
They're also rich in beneficial antioxidants, healthy cholesterol and omega-3 fatty acids. With all these impressive nutrients contained in such small portions, oysters are a god among superfoods, seriously boosting your body's health and overall functions.
Steamed Oysters
Steaming is also one of the healthiest ways to cook oysters, as it doesn't require olive oil or other ingredients that could add calories and fat.
Look for the telltale milky sac that indicates an oyster is spawning. If it's just getting going, the sac is little more than a thin, cream-colored line less than half an inch long. If the oyster is in high gear, the sac will be large and cloudy, overtaking much of the oyster's body mass.
Champagnes typically have a yeasty, bready flavor that add some depth to the pairing. The bubbles of champagne or a dry sparkling wine also provide a textural contrast against the smooth texture of oysters. If there's any one classic pairing for oysters, it's the always-bright, always-crisp muscadet.
Oysters are primarily a finger food and should be eaten raw, fresh and right from the shell. No silverware, no plates, you just need to put your lips right up to the shell and slurp away. This tiny fork that may frequently accompany oysters is used just to loosen the oyster from the shell.
Before you begin eating your oysters, it is best to ensure that they are clean and free from any discoloration or debris. You can either use your hands to shuck the oyster or alternatively, a special tool called an “Oyster Knife”. Finally, enjoy!