1. Are the oysters being eaten alive?
While it might sounds odd, you definitely want to eat oysters while they're still alive. Eating a dead oyster could leave you feeling not so great afterward. Fresh oysters will be clamped tightly shut if they're alive. If they're not, they'll be gaping open with a pungent, not-so-fresh odor. Don't underestimate them though, some varieties can survive out of the water for up to two weeks if kept in properly chilled, moist conditions.
2. What do these slimy things taste like?
In the shell, an oyster tastes like the ocean. The "blood" circulating through is seawater, so your oyster will also be salty. However, oysters can take on a variety of flavors, from floral to melon, metallic to smoky. The texture of the meat can also vary from soft and pilant or crisp to full-bodied. The finish can leave you with a lingering sensation of fresh cucumber, herbal bitterness or musky fruit. Finding an oyster you like is similar to finding the perfect wine for your tastes. The more you explore, the more you will learn about the flavors different oysters can posses.
3. How else can you eat oysters besides totally raw?
From grilled to fried, the ways to prepare oysters are endless. You can even drink your oysters at Tucker's Shuckers, via oyster shooters with vodka and Tabasco. The menu at our Lake of the Ozarks seafood restaurant will feature the following types of oysters:
- Charbroiled Oysters - Six freshly shucked oysters grilled over an open flame with, garlic, butter and shredded parmesan cheese.
- BBQ Oysters - Six freshly shucked oysters breaded and fried. Tossed in sweet BBQ sauce. Served with ranch or blue cheese.
- Oysters Rockefeller - Oysters baked with butter, herbs, spinach & bread crumbs.
- Southern Fried Oysters - Served with blue cheese, celery and buffalo sauce.
- Oyster Sliders - Crispy fried oysters stacked on a sweet Hawaiian roll with crispy lettuce, dill pickle slice and Old bay aioli.
- Oyster Poor Boy - House shucked, battered and fried oyster on french bread, served with lettuce, tomato and mayo
4. Why are there so many different oyster names?
As we mentioned in our previous blog, "5 Types of Oysters Found in the U.S.", there are 5 species commercially cultivated in North America. You can compare these to wine grapes; while the oysters will taste different depending on growing practices and region, there are some common threads between oysters of the same species. Oysters of each species are usually named after the bay or town they come from, for example Totten Inlet Virginicas or New Brunswick Flats. Oysters are affected by climate and much like wines express their region through the concept of terroir, oysters are said to possess a certain merroir. Tides, surrounding plankton, the depth of the bed and any number of other factors can change an oysters flavor dramatically. Farming techniques also have a large impact on the oyster's development.
5. Is oyster farming sustainable?
Historically, oyster beds thrived on the coast, but due to over-fishing most of these beds were eliminated by the turn of the century. Today, 95% of oysters are cultured. Seafood aficionados may feel that wild oysters taste better, but the truth is that farmed oysters are raised under optimal conditions for growth, and bred for aesthetically pleasing shells and balanced flavors. These operations are one of the best boosts we can give the planet. Unlike other seafood farms, oysters do not need to be fed anything. The oysters simply soak up the nutrients around them, while also purifying the water they live in. One adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day! Since oyster quality depends on water quality, farmers tend to be good environmental stewards.
6. How do you tell the sex of an oyster?
Oysters are actually hermaphrodites and contain the machinery to release both eggs and sperm. They can change sex from year to year, but cannot be both at the same time. A female can produce a million eggs while a male can produce over a billion sperm. Either way, oyster reproduction is a precarious business. In the wild, only one larva in a million will reach adulthood.
7. Are oysters high in fat or cholesterol?
Oysters are one of the best foods you can eat! They are a great source of protein and contain very little fat, most of which is unsaturated. They are low in cholesterol, but very high in vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc and copper. Eastern oysters contain 5-10 times as much zinc and copper as Pacific oysters. This explains why many people perceive Eastern oysters to be more metallic and Pacific oysters sweeter.
8. How do you shuck an oyster?
There are many methods to shucking oysters, but the general advice is to wrap a kitchen towel around the oyster, cup side down, so that the hinge is exposed. While holding the oyster firmly with one hand, take the oyster knife in the other hand and insert it into the hinge. The key is to use less force that you think you need. Once you've gently inserted the knife, rotate the blade to pry the shell up. Now slice across the oyster's adductor muscle to remove the top shell, taking care not to spill the oyster liquor. Be sure to cut the oyster's bottom muscle, located on the curved edge of the cup so that the oyster can be slurped in one smooth move!
Now that you know a little more about oysters, you're ready to enjoy some at Tucker's Shuckers Oysters & Tap. Our oysters are fresh, never frozen and flown in special for our restaurant at the Lake of the Ozarks. Opening day is set for Friday, March 27. See you then!
Tuckers Shuckers Oysters & Tap: The BEST Oysters at the Lake of the Ozarks!
1339 Bagnell Dam Blvd
Lake Ozark, MO 65049
Phone: 573-365-9769
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