Dish of the Week: Oysters

Now that we’re in months with an ‘r’, we’re starting to hit prime oyster season, so you should be able to get some truly tasty beauties. If you’re looking for a good deal on raw oysters, you can head over to Maine Ave. Seafood Market, where last week oysters from Corpus Christi were $8 a dozen, and $15 for 2 dozen.

Shucking them yourself is easy, and satisfying. Plus, it makes you feel like a rugged fisherman. Place the oyster convex side down on a towel, so you don’t lose the precious juices. Hold the oyster down with a towel or oven mitt, since the edges can be sharp. Find the hinge of the oyster and slide a blade in between the shells. Once the blade is inserted, twist your wrist and you should feel the shells pop apart. Wipe down your blade, as it will likely be mucky. Then reinsert the blade and slide it along the inside of the top shell, loosening the oyster’s grip. After pulling off the top, loosen the oyster’s grip on the bottom shell.

If you’re doing a whole bunch, rest your oyster on a bowl of ice. Enjoy with a little squeeze of lemon, mignonette, or cocktail sauce with a ton of horseradish. And if you want to follow proper etiquette, after you’ve eaten the oyster, flip the shell inside down on top of the ice.

A good place for picking up raw oysters to eat home is the BlackSalt Fish Market. Or if you want to have oysters without the work, a lot of places around town have good deals. We mentioned the cheap Happy Hour at Urbana a few weeks ago, and Hank’s Oyster Bar has $1 oyster happy hours later in the oyster season. And if you’re a true oyster lover, you can join the fight for the $126 tickets to Old Ebbitt Grill’s Oyster Riot, which go on sale next Tuesday. (Tickets sold out in 10 minutes last year.) The event runs November 20 and 21, and includes unlimited sampling of 25 different types of oysters, wine, and other food items. If you want something a little less pricey and more down home, you can head to the St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival, which has $5 admission and individual charges for food.