Shucking Oysters -- The right tool matters

Dan's View

Years ago I was starting a new job as a software developer, I remember Tim Martin, the head of software implementations telling me something that has stuck with me ever since: "you can't build a house without a toolbox". The context he was referring to translates roughly into "before you do a software implementation, make sure you have the procedures, utility programs, etc., to install the computer system quickly and efficiently.  The same thing applies in the world of shucking oysters: you can't shuck an oyster unless you have the right tool.  Of course, the right tool may turn out to be a hammer, if you're shucking oysters at the Chincoteague Oyster Festival, where speed is of  the essence since the shuckers are contending with a few thousand hungry people who want to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat venue.  However, when serving oysters to friends and family, presentation is almost as important as taste...so a hammer (or screwdriver for that matter) might not be the best choice.

Now I reached a point where I wanted to bring the oyster experience into our own home, but I didn't know the first thing about preparing them for consumption.  So one Saturday morning, I did a little Googling and found a few videos on YouTube that gave practical demonstrations.  Looked easy enough.  The next step was to find an oyster knife.  Oysters are shut tightly when they're healthy and alive (which is exactly the way you want them to be!), and the place to pry them open is where they are hinged.  It takes a bit of work to get the blade in the correct position and use a firm vibrating, or twisting motion as the hinge becomes freed...until there is ultimately a popping sound.  Because of that, it is important that the blade be thin, but also have some surface shape that suggests a fulcrum.  I was very anxious to get started, so I went to the nearest kitchen specialty store that had a variety of knives -- Bed Bath and Beyond.  The sales associate directed me to where their oyster knife was located.  It was an Oxo Good Grips Oyster Knife and it was a bargain at $8.99; it even had a curved tip, which satisfies the fulcrum requirement to aid in prying open the two valves.

Oxo -- A  so-so shucking tool

The final step in this quest was to secure some oysters.  Whole foods is a good source -- especially on the east coast -- and while their selection is not overwhelming, they usually stock a good, middle of the road Blue Point oyster.  I bought a dozen and went home.  My first attempts yielded edible results, but not very pretty -- the bottom shell would frequently break, spilling some of the precious liquor that is usually enjoyed as part of the oyster-slurping experience.  Many of the top shells broke as well, although these are discarded.  My technique improved with time, that is, the percentage of broken shells in the shucking process decreased, but not to an acceptable level, in my estimation.  Oh well.

Then Cathy and I got married, and we received some gift certificates from friends -- one of which was for Williams-Sonoma.  After we moved to Ann Arbor, we were shopping one day with gift certificate in hand for a sushi knife, which proved to be a bit more expensive and daunting (about 10 inches long and VERY sharp), so we decided against it.  I must have had seafood on the brain, because I immediately thought of checking out their oyster knives as an alternative (and less expensive) purchase.  What I found was a Lamson & Goodnow High Carbon Oyster Knife.  It was a tad more costly, at $14.99, but still reasonably priced.

Lamson & Goodnow - A great tool

As in my previous experience I acquired another batch of willing victims, this time a dozen Pleasant Bays from Monahan's.  The results this time were amazing: not one oyster shell broken!  Why the difference?  For one thing, the blade on the Lamson & Goodnow knife was much thinner than the Oxo blade.  Also, it does not bend, so all the energy of twisting and maneuvering goes directly into the task at hand -- namely, said oyster.  There's something about the wooden handle that makes it feel more comfortable in my hand.  I still have then Oxo blade as a backup, but the Lamson & Goodnow is my tool of choice.  Tim Martin would be proud.