As Valentines Day neared the increasing talk of oysters drove me into a frenzie, and the craving led me to Whole Foods.  Whole Foods carries oysters regularly, but has stocked up on them and will even shuck them for you for Valentine’s Day.

I picked up some Fanny Bay, Kushi, Effingham and Kumamoto to slurp at home on what I like to call “date night”, which basically means when a night when my boyfriend’s and my schedules don’t  conflict and we get to spend a night together.  Unfortunately, quite rare these days.

I also picked up some cocktail sauce, fresh horseradish and the ingredients to make a mignonette of raspberries, champagne vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper and olive oil (picured in the front of the photo)  The recipe is below, along with some tips from Whole Foods on Oysters. 

Results?  Spectacular, fresh and tasy oysters, perfect to get any night rolling in the right direction.

Tips from Whole Foods

People may think oysters are too complicated to prepare, but the seafood specialists at Whole Foods have put together some tips to demystify oysters and help beginners select and shuck a meal to remember. Things to keep in mind when buying oysters:

• Look for shells that are closed tightly and not broken (barnacles are okay)
• Make sure to ask the local fish monger where the oysters were harvested – this will affect the flavour
• When you tap the shell, it shouldn’t sound hollow, otherwise the oyster could be dead
• For beginners, choose smaller or medium-sized varieties such as Fanny Bays from Vancouver Island – they tend to be sweeter with a ‘cucumber finish’

Once at home, oyster shucking isn’t as complicated as it looks. Avoid a ‘bad shuck’ by following these tips:

• Use a dedicated oyster shucking knife – they have a short blade and  pointed tip
• Wash and/or scrub the oysters to remove sand or contaminants
• Don’t shuck oysters in your palm, rest it on the counter on top of a damp cloth
• To open, work the tip of the knife into the back hinge of the oyster (take care to avoid stabbing the meat) and turn the knife to pop open the shell slightly
• Run the tip of the knife along the top and bottom shell to cut the abductor muscle and release the meat
• Serve immediately, presenting the oysters in the bottom shell on a tray of ice with lemon wedges

 

  

  

  

 

Oysters with Valentine’s Day Mignonette (pictured at front)

Make sure to shuck and prepare oysters just before serving to keep them as fresh as possible.

 Ingredients

1/2 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons very finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons finely crushed white pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Handful of crushed raspberries
24 oysters, freshly shucked on the half shell

 Method

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, shallots, white pepper and salt and whisk to blend. Spoon mignonette and a touch of crushed raspberry atop oysters or serve mixture and berries alongside in small dishes.