In the 19th century, oysters were widely consumed by a large part of the working class society. As demand increased, many oyster farms went bankrupt. As a result, the price of these two-shelled animals goes up. Today, oysters are considered a high-end food. Most varieties of oysters are edible. Some varieties can be eaten raw or "on the half-shell." In general, smaller oysters are best served raw. While larger types of oysters such as Pacific oysters are used as ingredients in processed dishes. Oysters can be steamed, grilled, or fried. The most common processing method is frying. This is especially the case for people in the southern regions of the United States. Here are some ways to process oysters.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Steaming Oysters
Step 1. 1
Prepare the oysters to be steamed. Scrub the outside of the oyster shell with a brush under cold running water to remove any dirt. Remove any open or cracked shells as this is a sign that the oyster is dead or dangerous.
• Do not wash oysters if they are too old to eat. Wash the oysters some time before steaming. This method is useful for killing chemicals such as chlorine and toxins that can reduce the freshness of oysters
Step 2. 2
Prepare the water for steaming the oysters. Put water about 5 cm high into the pot. If you like, add half a beer or a glass of wine to the water for added taste and aroma. Put the saucer or steaming container into the pan. Arrange the oysters on it. Bring the water to a boil and cover the pot.
Step 3. 3
Steam the oysters for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium heat and let the oysters steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Steaming for 5 minutes will produce medium cooked oysters and 10 minutes for perfectly cooked oysters. At this stage, most of the oyster shell will be open. Discard oysters whose shells do not open.
Step 4. Do another way by steaming the oysters on the grill
Place the oysters evenly on a baking dish that has been lightly watered. Use medium heat. Cover the dish and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Oysters are cooked when the shell is open. Discard oysters whose shells did not open during the cooking process
Method 2 of 4: Baking Oysters
Step 1. Prepare the oysters to be roasted
Scrub the oyster shells with a brush under cold running water to remove any debris. Discard oysters with open or damaged shells. Leave the oysters in the water for a moment. Remove and dry.
Step 2. Prepare the grill
Use a charcoal or gas grill for grilling. Use medium heat. Place the oysters on the grill evenly.
Step 3. Decide if the oysters will be cooked whole or if the bottom shell remains
While there are slight differences in how they are cooked, it will all depend on the decision to season the oysters before cooking or to season them just before eating. If you want to season before cooking, it's a good idea to take the step of removing the oyster shells first. If you want all or part of the oyster to be seasoned after cooking, it's best not to remove the shell.#* How do you dispose of the oyster shell? Wrap the top of the oyster in a towel or wear thick gloves to protect your hands. Slide the knife into the back of the oyster. Turn the knife by turning the wrist like turning a car ignition. Scrape the top of the oyster shell with a knife and twist it to open the shell. Peel off the top of the shell and remove the oyster leg stuck to the bottom of the shell with a knife.
Step 4. Prepare the seasoning for the oysters with the shell still attached (optional)
Oysters are very delicious eaten raw or cooked with the liquid still in it. A little seasoning will add to the delicacy of the oysters. Use spices that suit your taste. For inspiration, season the oysters with some of the spices below:
- Butter and garlic
- Butter and soy sauce
- Butter, shallots, fresh parsley, cheese (pecorino type), chili pepper (other hot peppers can be used), paprika
- BBQ sauce
Step 5. Cook the oysters
Cover the grill and let it rest for 5 or 6 minutes. After that, open the lid and check the condition of the oysters. What you want the result to be will differ depending on how the oysters are prepared::
- Whole oysters should be checked to see if the shell is open. Initially you will see some sort of line separating the top and bottom shells. Look at the oyster liquid bubbles on the line. Discard oysters whose shells don't open after 5-10 minutes of cooking.
- Oysters with remaining undershells need to be carefully inspected before and during the shell removal process to ensure they are safe to eat. If the oyster shell has opened before you can remove it or is not difficult to remove, then throw the oyster. Oysters with the shell still on the bottom are slightly firmer when cooked. The liquid will foam up and help the ripening process take 5-10 minutes.
Step 6. Carefully remove the whole oyster or the oyster with the bottom shell remaining so that the liquid is not wasted
Serve with melted butter, lemon, or just eat.
Method 3 of 4: Frying Oysters
Step 1. Prepare the frying pan
Heat the frying pan to 190°C.
Step 2. Remove the oyster shell
Wrap the oyster in a cloth and insert a knife into the slit in the back of the oyster. Turn the knife to open the back of the oyster. Swipe the knife around the top of the shell, opening the top of the shell when it's loose enough. Swipe the knife on the underside of the oyster to remove the oyster leg from the bottom of the shell.
Step 3. Coat the oysters before frying
Mix flour, salt and black pepper. Beat the two eggs in a separate bowl. Drain 12 ounces of shellless oysters and dip in the beaten egg. After that, coat with flour mixture. Coat evenly and thickly. Set aside the excess layer of flour.
Step 4. Fry the oysters
Fry oysters as much as 5 or 6 pieces in one time frying with a lot of oil. Fry for 2 minutes until golden brown.
Step 5. Enjoy while it's warm
Method 4 of 4: Traditionally Baking Oysters
Step 1. Wash the oysters
Wear gloves so that the rough outer shell of the oyster doesn't hurt your hands. Wash the oysters in a suitable place so that the dirt does not contaminate the yard or furniture.
- Wash the oysters just before baking. Washing oysters long before they are cooked makes them taste bad when eaten.
- Oysters that come from farmers are often washed when harvested. There's nothing wrong with researching oysters that may have not been washed. It's safer to do that than to regret later.
Step 2. Set up a grate that matches the size of the grill mat
If you want to grill oysters traditionally, you'll need a good fireplace and a large metal grill mat. If you don't have a metal grill tray, use a metal grating that's large enough to hold the oysters.
- Place four bricks around the fireplace. Place it in a square formation so that it can support the placemat as it sits over the fireplace.
- If the fire starts to dim, place a placemat on top of the bricks and wait for it to heat up. (Make sure the mat is pre-washed). Sprinkle a little water on the surface of the placemat. If you hear a hissing sound, then the mat is ready to use.
Step 3. Place the oysters on a single layer mat
Make sure there are sufficient oysters. Prepare 6-16 oysters for one person.
Step 4. Cover the oysters with a wet burlap sack or wet towel
Wait until the oysters are fully cooked. Compared to towels, burlap sacks do look more convincing. But if you don't have a burlap sack, a towel is fine too.
- Bake the oysters for 8-10 minutes. If you want the oysters to be undercooked, cook for 8 minutes. If you want it to be more cooked, let it sit for the next few minutes.
- If any oysters don't open about 1/2 to 1 cm after cooking for 10 minutes, throw them away.
Step 5. When the placemat is reheated, enjoy the cooked oysters
The mat needs to be heated for a few minutes before being reused. Repeat this process for the remaining oysters.
Things that must be considered
- Oysters that are especially raised in warm waters such as the Gulf of Mexico contain the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus. These bacteria can cause disease and are at high risk of life-threatening conditions such as damaging the immune system. To reduce the risk of contamination, eat oysters that are completely cooked. Fry or boil oysters for at least 3 minutes and bake for at least 10 minutes. If you eat raw oysters, avoid eating oysters raised in the summer months. Water conditions in these months most likely contain bacteria. A possible suggestion is to eat oysters only in the months that have the letter "R."
- Be careful when frying the oysters in hot oil. Use a razor or long tongs. Move away from the fryer when adding the oysters to avoid splashing the oil. Cover the frying pan when the cooking oil explodes and reduce the heat to prevent the oysters from burning.
Things You Need
- Oyster
- Water
- Beer
- Cormorant
- Steamer mat
- Butter
- Frying
- Wheat
- Salt
- Pepper
- Egg
