How to Shuck an Oyster
The late, great Jon Rowley, shows the way to a perfect half shell
Shortly before passing on, Jon Rowley, founder of the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Festival and discoverer of some of the best food in the United States shared his thoughts on how to properly shuck an oyster.
The enjoyment of oysters on the half shell depends in no small part on how well they are shucked. Oyster shucking is as much art as skill. There has never been a machine invented that can out-perform a skilled human hand at opening an oyster. Each species has different shell characteristics and each oyster is uniquely formed. The many styles of oyster knives reflect regional and personal shucking techniques. While some commercial shuckers go through the front or the bill, others, like World Champion, Xavier Caille, prefer to enter from the side. Most restaurant shuckers open from the hinge, avoiding shell fragments.
In the time it takes to pick up and position an oyster cup side down, an expert oyster opener has already devised the plan of attack. With skill and speed, the shucker finds the invisible sweet spot in the hinge, pops the shell with a twist of the knife, then darts the blade deftly forward over the top of the meat to sever the adductor muscle that holds the two shells or “valves” together. Flicking away the top shell, the shucker slides the knife under the meat to sever the…
