oysters

The first time I tried oysters was in college, when two of my friends convinced me to do an oyster shooter with them.  Needless to say, it took me awhile to try them again.  It wasn't until years later when I moved to New York and stumbled upon Mermaid Inn in the East Village when I rediscovered my love for oysters.  It has since become a bi-weekly ritual for me and my friends.  More recently, I've wanted to try my hand at oyster shucking.  I honestly have very little confidence when it comes to raw protein prep --unless it's ceviche -- only because I'm always uncertain of shelf life, temperature, etc. Last weekend I ended up picking up these beautiful East Bays from Whole Foods to experiment.  Though slightly intimidated to start, I ended up sucking the dozen with much ease and then felt even further rewarded when I slurped them down with a touch of hot sauce and lemon.  Here are just few things I learned from asking the seafood experts and reading up online.

1.  Oysters, when fresh, should be consumed within 5 days, but best to consume them same day. 2.  Do not store oysters in an airtight bag or container, you'll suffocate them. 3.  Shucking is pretty easy and best done in a group setting. 4.  Stuff and bake them (I think I'll try a recipe like this next?). 5.  Siracha actually tastes really good with oysters.