Mens Journal

NOTEBOOK FOOD&DRINK

Y

OU ORDER THEM all the

time in restaurants but

when was the last time

youservedoystersathome?That’s

what we thought. We know. Oys-

ters are intimidating. You have to

shuck them. And if you eat a bad

one you’re in for a world of hurt.

But there’s no reason you can’t eat

oysters at home — especially if you

serve them hot. “Cooking oysters

changes their composition” says

Roger Jacobsen co-owner and chef

of American Whiskey in New York

City. “They lose some of their brini-

ness and their texture becomes

firmer.” Use this recipe from

Jacobsen as a template because

before broiling an oyster you can

topitwithjustaboutanything:

crumbled bacon leeks and parsley

(pictured here); or chopped ginger

and soy sauce. You just have to fol-

low a few rules.—Perri O. Blumberg

Don’t Fear

the Oyster

THE SIX

COMMANDMENTS

OF OYSTERS

1. LEARN TO SHUCK
   Place a towel on your upturned palm;
   lay an oyster round side down on top
   of it. Using an oyster knife find the
   hinge where the top and bottom parts
   of the shell attach insert the tip
   and gently twist to open the oyster.
   Remove the top of the shell and
   scoop underneath the oyster flesh to
   release it from the bottom.


2. ASK WHERE THEY’RE FROM
   Avoid oysters raised in warm waters
   such as the Gulf of Mexico which
   are more prone to harbor bacteria.
   Think local: the less time from harvest
   to plate the better. And go ahead
   and eat them year-round. The
   old saw that you should eat oysters
   only in months that include the
   letter ris nonsense.


3. MAKE SURE THE SHELLS
   ARE CLOSED
   If an oyster is slightly open and
   you tap the shell and it closes
   immediately that’s OK. But oysters
   with shells that stay open are dead
   and shouldn’t be eaten. Same goes for
   oysters with shells that are chipped.
   4. KEEP THEM COLD
   “Store oysters on ice in a perforated
   container with something underneath
   it to catch the melting ice” says
   Jordan Davis chef of Herringbone
   in La Jolla California. “Try a colander
   with a large bowl below.”
   5. CLEAN THEM UP
   Scrub the shells with a wire brush
   under cold fresh water to remove
   muddy deposits and debris.
   6. EAT THEM SLOWLY
   “Oysters are meant to be chewed
   thoroughly to reveal their full
   spectrum of flavors” says Jay
   Weinstein chef-instructor at New
   York City’s Natural Gourmet Institute.
   “Like wine they reveal themselves
   in stages with briny tastes first then
   meaty or umami flavors followed
   by a sweet mineraly finish.”

MEN’S JOURNAL 50 SEPTEMBER 2016

MARCUS NILSSON/GALLERY STOCK

BROILED

OYSTERS WITH

HERB BUTTER

Ser ves 2 as main course;

4 as appetizer

4cloves garlic finely

chopped

2 bunches parsley finely

chopped

Zest of 2 lemons

1 lb butter (4 sticks)

softened

A dozen oysters shucked

and drained

1cup panko bread crumbs

Extra-virgin olive oil

Combine garlic parsley

and lemon zest in a bowl.

Add softened butter and

combine. Place a spoonful

of the butter mixture on

each oyster and top that

with a generous sprinkle of

bread crumbs. Drizzle

extra-virgin olive oil on the

bread crumbs. Arrange

oysters on a broiler pan

and set broiler on low.

Cook oysters 6 to 10 inches

below flame until bread

crumbs are golden brown

about 3 minutes. Remove

from oven and serve.