Oyster Parties
The
humble oyster can be accompanied simply with good bread and butter.
However, it can also be prepared in a number of delicious recipes
and combines delectably with beers and wines. In stuffings and
marinades for most fish. Here, then, are a few suggestions and
daring combinations for fall oyster parties.
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| Oysters Rockefeller | Oysters on the Half Shell with Muscat Jelly, Scallions and Sauvignon Blanc | Oysters on the Half Shell with Shallot and Wine Vinegar Dressing | Oysters Rockfeller |
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| Oysters Au Gratin | Oysters Au Gratin 2 | Oysters – Casino Stuffing | Huîtres Rockfeller |
- When oysters are served as an appetizer, in a salad, soup or canapés, plan on 6 to 9 oysters per person.
- For a main dish count from 12 to 18 oysters per person.
- According to the quantity needed and how the oysters will be
used, it is best to
buy them as close to the day of the party as possible. - They should be kept in the bottom of the refrigerator in the box they come in.
- Placed in a cool basement (wine cellar for example), they can be kept from 8 to 10 days in their original box.
- However, avoid thermal shocks and keep them at a constant
temperature.
- It is best to open oysters l5 minutes before eating them or preparing the dishes.
- When opened oysters are placed on a bed of ice, they should be eaten within 3 hours.
When
opening oysters, use a knife especially designed for this purpose.
The handle is solid and the blade is thick and made of stainless
steel so that it will not give a metallic taste to the oyster.
The following is the recommended procedure for opening oysters.
It is best to protect one's hand with a damp cloth in case the
knife slips;
1. Hold the oyster firmly in one hand, the rounded side on the bottom, so as to lose as little liquid as possible.
2. Place the blade between the shells at the muscle, next to the hinge.
3. Twist the blade, lift the top shell and cut the muscle.
4. Then slide the blade to the back of the oyster to detach it
from the shell.
Arrange oysters to be eaten plain on a bed of crushed ice on a
big platter. If oysters are open, wedge them into the ice well so
they will not tip over and lose their juice.
- If time is a problem, an «oyster bar» is an interesting
alternative to a full menu and a good way to serve plain oysters to
your guests throughout the party.
- An "oyster bar", with one person in charge of the oysters, allows people to enjoy plain oysters as soon as they are opened.
- An interesting way of helping your guests discover beer and wine combinations is to follow the crescendo principle, changing the beer or the wine offered, every hour, for example.
- For fuller flavour, serve plain oysters with the following seasonings: lemon segments, finely chopped chives or simply with pepper that goes marvellously with their natural salty taste.
- Set out sauceboats of red or white wine vinegar, hot pepper
sauce or dressing to go with plain oysters.
- When oysters are served throughout a dinner from appetizer to main course, the wines chosen to accompany each dish should be progressively stronger. Thus, when more than one wine is served during a meal, the order of service should follow a crescendo of flavours. Begin with a lighter wine, and end with the most full-bodied.
- Some wine lovers propose a vertical wine list with oysters: the same wine throughout but older vintages as the meal progresses.
- According to general practice, no wine is served with soups, except maybe for a very simple, light, astringent wine that will refresh the taste buds.
Dry wines, for their mineral aroma and edge, are recommended with
oysters.
With fresh oysters served plain the best wine is a
dry, brisk wine (Muscadet, pic-
poul-de-pinet, Riesling or Chablis) which offer a
nice bite, replacing the over-used
lemon.
Fresh oysters served plain or in canapés also bring out the fruitiness of young brut champagnes. For special occasions, a Champagne Brut Blanc de blancs is an excellent choice.
If oysters are served hot, in butter, they require a wine that is both tart and mellow: great Graves, Spanish Rìas Baixas or young Californian Sauvignons.
A Sancerre or Chablis is the perfect accompaniment for grilled oysters.
Oysters served in cream sauce can be accompanied by a dry, smooth, more assertive wine with low acidity (an Alsatian Grey Pinot or Italian Chardonnay).
A dry Muscat brings out the flavour of Oysters
Rockefeller.
- When serving oysters throughout a dinner from appetizer to main course, follow the same principle as for wines in choosing your beers: they should be progressively stronger. Begin with a lighter tasting beer, and end with the fullest-flavoured.
- Beer should not be served with soups.
- Slightly bitter beers that are not too strong but that taste of hops and grains go best with oysters.
- Generally, lagers in general are an excellent choice. They are
refreshing with a
marked bitterness and good acidity. They are perfect as an aperitif, with plain
oysters or with canapés. - Ales and amber ales are also an excellent choice because they
have a mineral
taste and a bitterness that goes well with oysters. Amber ales are more strongly flavoured and full-bodied than lagers and go better best with more highly
flavoured dishes.
- Never let oysters stand in water as this will cause them to open, lose their juice and die.
- Oysters need to breathe, never store them in a plastic bag or air-tight container. Avoid any thermal shock and store at a constant temperature.
- Do not open oysters more than three hours before consumption. Ideally, they should be opened 15 minutes ahead of time and served over ice on a large oval platter.
Fresh oysters should be prepared as soon as possible after purchase
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Refrigerator 4° C
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Freezer -18° C
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Fresh oysters in the shell
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6 weeks
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Fresh shucked oysters
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10 days
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3 months
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Treat Yourself to Oysters This Week...and All Year Long!
What a perfect opportunity
to discover or rediscover oysters! Love them? Don’t know much
about them? Then click here to learn more about the many delightful
possibilities of oysters.