[0 - 2] - I've always imagined that naming a favorite food
[2 - 4] is a little bit like naming a favorite child.
[4 - 5] You say to your friends,
[5 - 7] "Hey, oysters are my favorite food,"
[7 - 8] and then every time you see them,
[8 - 10] they bring you oysters and of course,
[10 - 10] you feel you have to eat them.
[10 - 13] And you eat so many of them, you get kinda sick of them,
[13 - 14] which doesn't seem good.
[14 - 19] Is that like naming a favorite child? (light music)
[20 - 22] If you frequent oyster bars,
[22 - 24] you'd be forgiven for assuming that there are hundreds
[24 - 26] of species of oysters in the world.
[26 - 28] Oyster menus offer a ton of variety,
[28 - 30] and each oyster seems to taste so different
[30 - 31] than the one you just slurped.
[31 - 33] But the truth is, only five oyster species
[33 - 35] are actually cultivated in North America
[35 - 36] and only a couple more are farmed worldwide.
[36 - 40] The five types are Eastern, Pacific, Kumamoto,
[40 - 42] European Flat, and Olympia.
[42 - 44] And they have distinct characteristics.
[44 - 45] For instance, the Eastern oyster features
[45 - 48] a large, smooth, deep cup, flat lid, teardrop shape,
[48 - 50] and are deeply savory and briny.
[50 - 52] This is the oyster that I grew up eating here
[52 - 52] in the Northeast.
[52 - 54] They are native to the Atlantic coast
[54 - 55] and the Gulf of Mexico.
[55 - 57] Pacific oysters are native to Japan
[57 - 59] but are the predominant farmed oyster on the West Coast.
[59 - 61] They feature these gorgeous ruffled shells
[61 - 64] and they generally trade more on creaminess and sweetness.
[64 - 66] The Kumamoto, which also hails from Japan
[66 - 67] and is extensively farmed on the West Coast,
[67 - 69] features a small, deep cup
[69 - 72] and a similar pretty edge to Pacifics.
[72 - 73] Kumamotos are often sweeter and milder
[73 - 76] than Pacifics and feature cucumber and melon-like flavors.
[76 - 78] These are a super popular oyster,
[78 - 79] even for folks that a lotta times
[79 - 81] don't think they like oysters.
[81 - 83] The European Flat, also known as the Belon oyster,
[83 - 86] is potentially the polar opposite of a Kumamoto,
[86 - 88] in that they can be very large, like this specimen here,
[88 - 90] and are often considered to have one
[90 - 92] of the more challenging flavor profiles.
[92 - 93] These guys are distinctively metallic
[93 - 96] with tasting notes often referencing copper.
[96 - 98] Olympias are the Pacific Coast's native beauty.
[98 - 100] They are the smallest species native to North America
[100 - 103] but often pack more savoriness and intensity of flavor
[103 - 105] than either Pacifics or Kumamotos.
[105 - 107] These fellas are actually pretty hard to find
[107 - 108] outside of the Pacific Northwest,
[108 - 110] where only a few farmers really cultivate them.
[110 - 112] So if there aren't that many species,
[112 - 113] what accounts for all this variety?
[113 - 115] I mean, I can sit down at an oyster bar
[115 - 117] and try two different oysters from the same river in Maine
[117 - 120] and they taste completely different from one another. What gives?
[120 - 122] That kind of difference is thanks to the fact
[122 - 124] that oysters consume whatever is in the water around them,
[124 - 126] including algae, phytoplankton,
[126 - 127] and small amounts of plant matter,
[127 - 130] and that can vary significantly by location.
[130 - 132] The ocean's impact on an oyster's flavor
[132 - 133] is called merroir,
[133 - 135] which is a combination of the French words mer,
[135 - 136] which means sea, and terroir,
[136 - 138] a wine industry term that refers to the impact
[138 - 141] that soil and climate of a vineyard has
[141 - 142] on a wine's flavor.
[142 - 143] One big component of merroir,
[143 - 145] not surprisingly is salinity.
[145 - 147] If an oyster grows up in saltier water,
[147 - 149] its liquor, that liquid that surrounds the oyster
[149 - 151] in its shell, is going to be saltier.
[151 - 153] If an oyster comes from brackish waters,
[153 - 154] it will be less salty.
[154 - 156] But the impact of salt goes even further.
[156 - 158] Oysters respond to changing salt levels
[158 - 161] by actively changing the amount of amino acids
[161 - 163] and other flavorful compounds in their bodies.
[163 - 164] So their flavor can actually change dramatically
[164 - 168] season to season and even tide to tide. Wow.
[168 - 170] Have you ever heard the adage that you should only
[170 - 172] eat oysters in months that contain the letter R?
[172 - 173] Let's dig in on that.
[173 - 175] First, for the monthly challenged amongst us,
[175 - 178] let's break out the months that actually contain an R.
[178 - 181] That would be January, February, March, April,
[181 - 183] September, October, November, and December.
[183 - 186] So we've got winter, early spring, and fall covered. What's missing?
[186 - 189] May, June, July, and August, the warm ones.
[189 - 190] So, does that mean that eating oysters
[190 - 192] in the middle of the summer is dangerous?
[192 - 194] Should we avoid it at all costs?
[195 - 197] This is all about quality and taste.
[197 - 199] And as rules go, this isn't really one
[199 - 200] of those hard and fast ones.
[200 - 202] According to oyster expert Rowan Jacobsen,
[202 - 204] oysters essentially hibernate
[204 - 205] when the water gets really cold
[205 - 207] and they have to live off whatever resources they have
[207 - 208] until early spring.
[208 - 210] In preparation for that, they fatten themselves up,
[210 - 211] just like a bear.
[211 - 213] So oysters in late fall through mid winter
[213 - 214] are plump and delicious.
[214 - 216] In the spring when they wake up from hibernation
[216 - 217] and start chowing down again,
[217 - 218] they're less rich and full,
[218 - 220] but they're still really lovely and fresh tasting.
[220 - 222] It's when the water warms in those R-less months
[222 - 224] that oyster quality can really drop off
[224 - 226] because they spawn.
[226 - 228] When this happens, oysters give up a big chunk
[228 - 230] of their body as either sperm or eggs,
[230 - 232] which depletes them of their energy reserves.
[232 - 234] Jacobsen describes late summer oysters
[234 - 236] as translucent bags of seawater.
[236 - 237] Now, in the past when I was called
[237 - 239] a translucent bag of seawater,
[239 - 241] I gotta admit, it stung quite a bit,
[241 - 242] but oysters, they don't mind.
[242 - 244] Marine biologists essentially removed the seasonality factor
[244 - 247] for oysters in the 1990s when they bred something
[247 - 248] called the triploid.
[248 - 250] A triploid is an oyster with three sets of chromosomes
[250 - 253] instead of two and they don't spawn.
[253 - 255] Rusty Grice from the Auburn University Shellfish Lab,
[255 - 257] which sounds like a pretty delicious lab to me,
[257 - 259] describes them as seedless watermelons.
[259 - 261] In warmer climates, like the Gulf and West Coast,
[261 - 263] triploids are really popular with farmers
[263 - 265] because they get better and keep growing,
[265 - 267] as opposed to spawning and deflating, pretty cool.
[267 - 269] Okay, so now we know a bit more about oysters.
[269 - 271] We know we love eating them at restaurants,
[271 - 273] but you know what, eating oysters at home
[273 - 275] isn't just fun, delicious, and a really great way
[275 - 277] to celebrate, it can actually be really approachable.
[277 - 280] Trust me, even if you don't like raw oysters,
[280 - 281] like all good things in the kitchen,
[281 - 282] it starts with shopping.
[282 - 284] Buying oysters online is a great way to go
[284 - 287] because they go directly from the farmer to your door.
[287 - 289] Online, you'll usually need to order a certain quantity,
[289 - 290] usually 30 or more.
[290 - 292] But that just means you have a great excuse
[292 - 294] to have friends over to eat oysters.
[294 - 295] Now, if you're looking for fewer
[295 - 296] and you've got a good market near you,
[296 - 298] that's your next best bet.
[298 - 300] Oysters that are fresh and alive are full of water
[300 - 301] and they have a certain density to them.
[301 - 303] A good fishmonger will check for that density
[303 - 306] by knocking two oysters together cup to cup just like this.
[306 - 308] If an oyster is dried out,
[308 - 309] it will sound hollow instead of full
[309 - 310] and they won't sell it to you.
[310 - 312] Once you've acquired your oysters,
[312 - 313] you need to store them properly.
[313 - 315] Stored nice and cold, fresh oysters actually last
[315 - 317] a lot longer than most folks think.
[317 - 319] Depending on the variety and freshness,
[319 - 321] some can keep up to a week under refrigeration.
[321 - 324] Note that as oysters are kept alive out of water,
[324 - 325] they progressively start to taste less like the sea
[325 - 328] and more of their own oysteriness,
[328 - 329] which is definitely probably a word.
[329 - 331] In the fridge, keep them in a bowl covered
[331 - 332] with a damp towel.
[332 - 334] You may be tempted to keep your oysters on ice,
[334 - 336] but there's actually really risk in doing so.
[336 - 338] Oysters will die if they sit in fresh water,
[338 - 340] which accumulates quickly when ice melts in the fridge.
[340 - 342] If you have a perfect drainage system in place, it's doable,
[342 - 345] but your best best is to save the ice for serving time.
[345 - 346] Speaking of serving time,
[346 - 347] I'm ready to eat some oysters.
[347 - 349] Let's go to the kitchen.
[349 - 350] The first step is to scrub your oysters
[350 - 352] to remove any sand, dirt, or anything else
[352 - 353] that's clinging to the shells.
[353 - 356] A stiff vegetable brush does a great job of this,
[356 - 358] as does a new clean sponge.
[358 - 359] Pay particular attention to the back hinge
[359 - 361] where we will eventually be putting our oyster knife
[361 - 363] and the underside of the lip
[363 - 365] where we're eventually gonna put our lips.
[365 - 366] Now, the fastest way to open an oyster
[366 - 368] is what is called the seagull technique.
[368 - 369] So you simply grab and oyster in your mouth,
[369 - 371] you fly about 50 feet up,
[371 - 373] and you drop it onto the rocks below.
[373 - 376] The impact will smash open the shell for easy eating.
[376 - 378] Now, the key here is that you need to fly down
[378 - 380] before anybody else gets your oyster.
[380 - 381] If you aren't much of a flyer,
[381 - 383] which I totally understand, it's stressful,
[383 - 384] the seats are too small,
[384 - 386] there's none of that glamour that it used to have,
[386 - 388] all that recycled air, ugh,
[388 - 389] here's your next best bet.
[389 - 391] First up, you definitely need an oyster knife.
[391 - 393] Don't try to sub in a dinner knife or anything sharp here,
[393 - 395] which can be really dangerous.
[395 - 397] Oyster knives feature thick steel blades
[397 - 398] that are dull on the sides but come to a point
[398 - 400] so that you can wedge into the hinge.
[400 - 401] The second piece of equipment,
[401 - 403] which is just as important, is a kitchen towel.
[403 - 406] Start by folding the towel up like this into a tight roll.
[406 - 408] Then, fold it over your thumb like this
[408 - 410] and grab the oyster hinge out.
[410 - 412] This setup helps brace the oyster against the counter
[412 - 413] so it doesn't slip.
[413 - 415] More importantly, the towel that loops over your thumb
[415 - 417] ensures that you don't stab yourself if you slip.
[417 - 419] See, not stabbing myself.
[419 - 422] Now, we locate the hinge and wiggle the knife in.
[422 - 424] The goal here is to wiggle in with just enough pressure
[424 - 426] until the knife is far enough in to get some purchase.
[426 - 429] It's really easy to push too hard and risk slipping.
[430 - 432] Once you're in, twist your wrist.
[432 - 434] Now, this is the real opening move.
[434 - 436] That twist will pop the oyster's hold.
[436 - 437] Once that happens, pull out the knife
[437 - 438] and give the tip a wipe on the towel.
[438 - 440] This ensures that any dirt that was in the hinge
[440 - 443] doesn't get spread onto the oyster during the next steps.
[443 - 444] Work the knife into the oyster and around
[444 - 446] with more wrist twisting.
[446 - 448] At this point, I really like to pick up the oyster,
[448 - 450] as I no longer need to brace it against the counter.
[450 - 452] Then, slide the blade part of the knife along the top
[452 - 454] of the shell to cut the adductor's connection to it,
[454 - 455] just like this.
[455 - 458] It's key to scrape as close as you can to the top
[458 - 460] of the shell so that all of the oyster remains
[460 - 462] in the bottom shell and you get to eat it.
[462 - 463] Now, we can ditch the top shell.
[463 - 465] Next, we'll sever the adductor muscle on the bottom
[465 - 467] using the side of the tip of the knife.
[467 - 469] Finally, I put the knife down and use my fingertip
[469 - 471] to push off any bits of shell or dirt,
[471 - 472] which aren't all that fun to eat.
[472 - 475] Now, if you are a super fast shucker, which I am not,
[475 - 478] you can shuck and place directly on your beautiful bed
[478 - 479] of crushed ice.
[479 - 481] But for slow guys like us, that is not a great idea.
[481 - 483] By the time you get the last oyster shucked,
[483 - 485] you'll likely have a lot of melted ice to deal with.
[485 - 488] Your better bet is to make a foil landing zone like this.
[488 - 490] Just crumple up a sheet so that there are hills and valleys.
[490 - 492] Then, place each oyster on the foil and press it
[492 - 495] so it stays flat and full of liquid.
[495 - 497] Once you've shucked all of your oysters like this,
[497 - 498] filled your chilled serving vessel
[498 - 500] with crushed ice like this,
[500 - 502] and transferred them over like this,
[502 - 504] it is time to serve.
[504 - 505] When it comes to eating oysters,
[505 - 508] I'm mostly a purist, and I really like eating them naked
[508 - 509] with maybe a sip of wine on the side
[509 - 510] for some lovely acidity.
[510 - 513] But there are so many great ways to garnish
[513 - 514] your diploids and triploids.
[514 - 517] "Cook's Illustrated" Senior Editor Lan Lam's recipe
[517 - 519] for mignonette granita might just be the coolest.
[519 - 522] Freeze red wine vinegar, water, shallot, and sugar
[522 - 524] in a shallow bowl until it looks like this.
[524 - 526] Then use a fork to scrape it
[526 - 528] into fluffy ice crystals like this.
[528 - 530] A little freshly ground black pepper finishes it off.
[530 - 532] For something completely different but equally tasty,
[532 - 536] try her soy and lime marinated scallions, yum.
[536 - 538] Now, I mentioned that I'm an oyster purist,
[538 - 539] but I know there are a ton of different ways
[539 - 541] to garnish oysters and I'd love to know
[541 - 542] how you like to top yours.
[542 - 544] Raw oysters are one of life's greatest joys,
[544 - 547] but you know what, roasted oysters are equally awesome.
[547 - 549] And with Lan's game-changing recipe,
[549 - 551] all that shucking becomes way easier.
[551 - 553] Let's get Lan in here to show us how to do it.
[553 - 555] We'll just nestle our beautiful well-scrubbed oysters
[555 - 558] on a crumpled foil nest on a rimmed baking sheet.
[558 - 560] Then, these unshucked beauties go straight
[560 - 563] into a 450-degree oven until they open slightly,
[563 - 564] which takes just five minutes.
[564 - 566] This brief stay in the oven does much
[566 - 567] of the shucking work for us,
[567 - 570] making it super easy to slide our oyster knife in
[570 - 572] and shuck them using the method we did before.
[572 - 575] Lan makes everything look easy, but this really is.
[575 - 577] Then we just pop the oysters back on their foil nest,
[577 - 578] dollop with mustard butter,
[578 - 580] and go back into the oven until the oysters
[580 - 583] are beautifully plumped and register 160 degrees.
[583 - 584] Just look at these.
[584 - 587] We'll hit them with a little parsley and some lemon.
[587 - 589] Now, the next key step is to open some wine
[589 - 591] or multiple kinds of wine.
[591 - 593] The step after that is to stare in awe
[593 - 596] at our gorgeous platters of raw and roasted oysters.
[596 - 599] We'll marvel at our tiny, creamy Kumamotos,
[599 - 601] gaze lovingly at these big briny Easterns,
[601 - 603] share a joke with these perfectly shucked Pacifics,
[603 - 605] have an intense starting contest
[605 - 608] with our massive, intensely flavored European Flats,
[608 - 610] and we'll lose that staring contest because frankly,
[610 - 611] European Flats always win.
[611 - 614] And finally, grab an oyster, top with some granita,
[614 - 615] and raise a glass,
[615 - 620] because this is absolutely how to eat oysters.
[622 - 624] Thank you all so much for watching my episode
[624 - 625] about my favorite food.
[625 - 626] Now, if you find the world of oysters
[626 - 629] and their flavors a little bit dizzying and confusing,
[629 - 631] I highly recommend checking out Rowan Jacobsen's website
[632 - 633] and his amazing guide to oysters,
[633 - 637] where he'll tell you what kind of oyster eater you are. It's brilliant.
[637 - 639] There's a link below this video to check it out.
[639 - 641] While you're down there, hit that subscribe and like button.
[641 - 644] Oh, before you go, if you try out that seagull method,
[644 - 646] let me know how it goes.
[646 - 646] See you next time.