Wayne Gisslen

Opening Oysters

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
  1. Scrub shells thoroughly before opening.
  2. Oysters to be served raw must be opened in a way that leaves the bottom shell intact and the tender oyster undamaged. The technique illustrated in Figure 20.8 is one common way of opening oysters. Your instructor may wish to show you another method.
  3. Oysters to be cooked may be opened by spreading them on a sheet pan and placing them in a hot oven just until the shells open. Remove from shells and cook immediately. Discard any that do not open.

Figure 20.8 Opening oysters

(a) Examine the shell to see that it is tightly closed, indicating a live oyster. Rinse the shell under cold running water. Hold oyster in left hand, as shown. (Left-handers will hold oyster in right hand.) Hold the oyster knife near the tip as shown. Insert the knife between the shells near the hinge.