THE WHITSTABLE SHELLFISH COMPANY Westmeads Road, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1LW Tel: 01227 282375
STORING YOUR OYSTERS
Your oysters will come packed with the cupped shell on the underside in
order to retain the oysters juices, this is how they should be stored. If they
are not being consumed immediately, place them in a refrigerator either
in the box they arrive or another suitable container, cover with a damp cloth.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IMMERSE THEM IN WATER. Oysters will
keep for at least a week in a domestic refrigerator if these instructions are
followed.
BEFORE OPENING (and freezing).
Fresh oysters should have tightly closed shells, any oysters which gap
open and do not close when tapped should be discarded. Rinse oyster
under cold running water and scrub hinge (shown in opening instructions)
with a stiff brush to remove any dirt.
OPENING HINTS
Place the oyster on a firm surface, to protect your hands use a damp tea
towel to hold the oyster, try to keep it level as you open to help retain the
juices. If you do not have an oyster knife, use a stout kitchen knife with a
strong blade, protect your hands!
FREEZING
Oysters can be kept up to three months in a domestic freezer. When
thawing, place cupped shell on underside (as per opening instructions)
to retain juices. Thawing will take two to three hours and the oysters should
be consumed as soon a possible after thawing. Freezing kills the oyster
and the shell will gape open when thawed, this makes opening easier.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
To serve oysters "au natural".
Open the oysters just before you plan to eat them. Serve them on a
dish garnished with lemon wedges or to be really impressive, on a bed of
crushed ice. Have Tabasco sauce or red wine vinegar mixed with chopped
shallots on offer and plenty of brown bread and butter.
Grilled oysters.
Heat the grill for 10 minuets. Open the oysters. Put a piece of crumpled foil
in the base of the grill pan and lay the oysters in their half shells on top of the
foil. Sprinkle with parsley mixed with bread crumbs. Dribble over a little olive
oil and put under the grill for two minuets, no more. Alternately, dot with a little
butter and some pureed shallots and flash under the grill for four minuets.
It is generally recognised that the rock oyster
is the better oyster for cooking with.
Most good cookery books contain recipes
for cooking & presenting oysters.
Bon appetit.
SOME QUESTIONS
& ANSWERS ABOUT OYSTERS
How do I know if an oyster is dead?
Oyster's defensive mechanism is to keep their shells tightly closed, when
the oyster dies or becomes very weak, the muscle which holds the two parts
of the shell closed, relaxes and the shell gapes open. If the shell does not
close when tapped, the is either dead or very weak and should be discarded.
Why must I not store oysters in water?
Oysters come from the sea, which has a higher salinity than tap water,
also tap water contains additives such as chlorine and fluoride, this would dramatically alter the taste of the oyster and most likely kill it.
Why must oysters be stored with the cupped shell on the underside?
While out of water the oyster holds it's shell tightly shut which retains water,
every so often the oyster will relax it's muscle allowing the shell to open
slightly, it is trying to see if the tide has come back in! If the cupped shell is
not on the underside the retained water will run out and the oyster will dry up
and die.
Why are Whitstable Native Oysters only available from September to April?
The Native Oyster's breading cycle occurs from May to August and is
protected from being fished during this period by an ancient act of Parliament,
also the condition of the oyster is not ideal for consumption.
If you have any questions about oysters, why not e-mail them to us and we will endevour to answer them for you.
