Shelling Oysters; Shelling Mussels

Appears in

By Naomi Duguid

Published 2012

  • About

Oysters and mussels are used as an ingredient in a number of dishes of Chinese origin in Southeast Asia. Consequently, freshly prepared oysters and mussels out of the shell are sold in Chinese and Southeast Asian grocery stores, usually in small 1- and 2-cup plastic containers; you can also find them canned. If you are making the Seafood Noodle Stir-fry and prefer to start with oysters or mussels in the shell, then you’ll need to shell them. The best trick for oysters is to freeze them for 3 hours; the freezing makes the liquid in the oyster expand, so it forces the top shell to lift. You just need to take it off (instead of using the traditional oyster shucking method: lay the oyster flat side up, narrow [hinge] end toward you, slide the tip of an oyster knife between the two shells, and twist to force the shells apart). Mussels need to be scrubbed clean, then put in a pot with a small amount of water over high heat. When the water boils, the mussels will start to open; discard any that don’t. Lift the mussels out, remove from the shells, and use as directed.