Method

1. Rinse your oysters in cold water. They should be tightly closed. Never prepare an oyster if it is already open.
2. Get an oyster knife (please don’t try to use a kitchen knife) and hold the oyster curved side down on a chopping board. You may want to use a folded kitchen towel between the shell and your hand to get a good grip.
3. Find the hinge between the top and bottom shell and put the knife tip in. You will need to work quite hard to prise them apart, then throw away the top shell. Don’t empty out any sea water that remains in the bottom shell but do pick out any shell fragments.
4. Place your prepared oysters onto a mound of ice to keep them fresh and cool and serve immediately. Some people may prefer a squeeze of lemon and a few drops of tabasco, but you can also prepare a mixture of finely chopped red onion and lemon juice. If you’re feeling extra fancy, you could even add a small scoop of fish roe.