Mastering the Art: How Do I Cook Oysters? (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to cook oysters? ›

All you need is a pot with a steamer basket. Place the shucked oysters in the basket, set over boiling water, and cover to steam for 4-5 minutes until they are firm and opaque. Once cooked, season with lemon juice, garlic butter, herbs, or other flavors.

Melt butter or heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the skillet is hot, add oysters, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and briefly cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until soft and tender. Remove from the pan and set the cooked oysters aside. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Baking Them In The Oven

One of the easiest ways to open oysters is to bake them in the oven. Simply preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place the oysters on a baking sheet lined with slightly crumpled foil to keep them steady. Bake for about 5 minutes or until the oysters' shells have just begun to open up.

Using a spoon, add butter sauce inside the already shucked oysters until they are close to being full. Place oysters onto white hot coals. Let cook for 3-4 minutes. Make sure to use protective gloves as the shells with be very hot.

Step 1: Rinse the oysters in cold water, picking off any barnacles, dirt, sand, or other flotsam.

Oysters are spectacular when served on the half-shell with a squeeze of citrus, but also make the meal when grilled, fried, stirred into soup like this Smoky Oyster Chowder with Bacon, Rosemary, and Fennel, or even dried then softened, as for these Lettuce Wraps with Dried Oysters.

Look For The Edges To Curl

There's a little trick to knowing when your oysters are done cooking. Take a look at the edges of the oyster. Once they start curling up, it's a sign that they've had enough heat. Don't cook them for too much longer than that and you should be good to go.

The high heat stability of olive oil makes it an ideal choice for achieving crispy, golden brown fried oysters.

It's a common misconception that you should swallow an oyster whole. Chewing an oyster is the best way to enjoy the full flavor profile. Savor the oyster and take your time chewing before you swallow.

When properly cared for live oysters will live in your refrigerator for 10 to 21 days. Are they alive? When oysters are dead in their shells they are no longer suitable to eat. To see if your oysters are alive, the shell should be closed or close when tapped lightly.

What to do with fresh oysters in the shell? ›

Wash the shells and place in a steamer for 10-20 minutes, depending on size. You will notice some oysters opening and that should indicate doneness. Partially Steamed then Fried or Stewed Oysters. Wash and scrub the shells very good if you plan to save the nectar.

They do not need to be shucked. They give of themselves with only the gentlest tug. Actually, saying the oysters have been "cooked" is probably overstating it; they've been lightly steamed, but retain a raw, warm snap.

Cook the Oysters

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until just softened, or about 4 minutes. Add the tarragon and wine, and salt and pepper to taste. Add oysters to the pan and cook just long enough for them to curl at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

What if some oysters don't open? Some oysters may not open because the muscle that joins the oyster to the shell doesn't let go. If most of your oysters open but you have a few live oysters that don't, pry them open. If the oysters are bad, they will smell.

The method couldn't be simpler: roast oysters in a super-hot oven just until the top shell pops about 1/4 inch open from the bottom, then pull the top shell of each bivalve off by hand, with a little help from a butter knife for leverage.

Once oysters are removed from their shell they can be served raw, baked, steamed, grilled or in specialty dishes. Oysters don't take long to cook and a low heat or fast high heat (broiling or frying) is preferable. They will toughen up if cooked too long.

Oysters are primarily a finger food and should be eaten raw, fresh and right from the shell. No silverware, no plates, you just need to put your lips right up to the shell and slurp away. This tiny fork that may frequently accompany oysters is used just to loosen the oyster from the shell.

This steamed oysters recipe makes the shellfish easy to open up and tender without any rubbery texture. I've made baked, grilled, steamed oysters on the stovetop, and even air-fried oysters, but steaming in the Instant Pot is hands down the best method.