Learn the Basics of Oysters

Learn the Basics of Oysters Rebecca Brayton: This seafood delicacy is known the world over as an aphrodisiac. Hi! I'm Rebecca Brayton and welcome to WatchMojo.com and today, we’ll be learning all you need to know about oysters. Do you have any tips or suggestions for a first timer with oysters who has never tried oysters before? Daniel Notkin: Find an oyster shucker that you can trust. If you have an oyster that is anything less than 90% of how excellent it should be and how fresh it should, you're going to have a bad experience. I can say I've got ten people a week who come and say, “I don’t like oysters.” They suddenly fall in love with them. They’re like, “I was missing this for years. It’s not fair.” So, that’s my advice. Find the shucker you trust. Rebecca Brayton: Now, where are some of the most popular or prominent oyster species from? Daniel Notkin: Well, that depends where you're from. The French love their oysters so they will argue that their oysters are the best. New Zealand oysters are amazing, just spectacular oysters and creamy seaweedy just an extending on a New Zealand bay in the fall. Amazing! I am partial to Massachusetts oysters and through Maine. I found their sweetness of the water, the complexity is really great. Sample different oysters, enjoy different oysters and you will find if you're in the East Coast, West Coast or European person and you stick with that. Rebecca Brayton: How are oysters best served? Daniel Notkin: Really, if you want to respect the oyster, take it, chew one without anything, you have another one, you have six oysters, you play with it, you put a little mignonette, finely diced shallots, we do champagne vinegar and finely diced shallots at the restaurant here. Check on buying complimenting on East Coat oyster. It gives a nice effervescence and sweetness. Put a little horseradish on a West Coast oyster, a little bit of lemon. You can play once you’ve appreciated the oyster. But for me, try one without anything, respect it and then you can move on. Rebecca Brayton: What other flavors, foods, drinks pair well with oysters? Daniel Notkin: Well, one of my favorite, favorite pairings it really surprised a lot of people is taking a West Coast oyster and I pair it with a little chilled shot of Hendricks’s gin. And, because those oysters have this natural cucumber and seaweed flavor, you drink the gin and then you eat the oyster and the two just slide together perfectly and for me, that’s the essence of pairing where two just meet and just like salt seeds just like absolutely beautiful. Rebecca Brayton: If you’re looking to buy oysters for yourself at home, what exactly should you be looking for? Daniel Notkin: Everyone is same with the finding the shucker you trust. Find a fishmonger you trust. Now, not all fishmongers know about oysters. They will have oysters but perhaps they don’t know about them so find one that does. Second thing is the most important thing to look for is ask for the harvest date. The harvest date is the date the oyster was taken out of the water. You want that to be as close to when you are purchasing your oysters as possible. Nice weight in your hand, weigh them out in your hand. If they feel like they’re full, also give them a little tap. Take two oysters and tap them together. The sound is hollow, then there’s no much inside. You want a big, full, beautiful oyster. Rebecca Brayton: Is there any special way to store them? Daniel Notkin: Store them cup side down. What happens is an oyster doesn’t move through its whole life so all it does is open its mouth to feed and close its mouth, open its mouth, close and that’s it. Now, in shipping or if you keep them at home, you have your oysters throw down and he’s a little thirsty, he’s going to open his mouth, all the liquid’s going to fall out. Its’ going to dry out and you're going to lose your oyster. You keep them like this you get an extra four, five, six days. Rebecca Brayton: Thank you very much. Daniel Notkin: And, thank you very much.