The PRE- Fixe: 5 Things You Need To Know Before Shucking Oysters At Zadie's Oyster Room

Delicious oysters come in many forms, but whether you prefer one coated in cheese or full of one just bursting with salty sea brine, you’re going have to shuck that thing open. Listen, I’m sure everyone thinks they can figure it out. After all, oysters are tiny little creatures whose resistance to humans is futile. But don’t try to shuck an oyster without taking a Leisurely class first at Zadie’s Oyster Room this weekend. Here’s what you’re looking at if you do.

This moon knife from Gear Patrol looks cool but please don’t bring it for shucking. Photo: Gear Patrol

First off you’d have to set up a raw bar in your house to keep the oysters cool which really isn’t practical, so then you say okay I’ll just fill my sink with ice. That sounds great until you start trying to pry open a shell with some fancy but impractical knife you bought on Gear Patrol , and then accidentally turn on the water to wash the finger you just cut, which suddenly melts the ice. Then it’s all pretty much downhill from there. Instead, read through these five tips to help you best prep for giving a body massage to some bivalves on Sunday October 20th.

If this is your first shuck, better to do it with someone a bit more experienced: Photo: Leisurely

1. Consider purchasing a pair of gloves in advance

When we say you’re going to shuck oysters, we mean it. In fact, we’ve set aside 18 raw oysters that require shucking. But if you think you might need some extra grip or just prefer not to shuck barehand, consider bringing your own rubber gloves to Zadie’s in order to make the most out of the full experience. Plus, it will make other attendees take notice of how prepared you are and it’s always nice to be recognized for doing the little things.

These are not the gloves you are looking for. Photo: Chicmags

2. Your Shucked Oyster Shells Are Going to the Billion Oyster Project (This is a Good Thing)

Do you know what gang owned the New York harbor back in the day? If you guessed The Plug Uglies, you’d be wrong, because it was oysters. Big in population, but more of the traditional type when it came to naming rituals. The Billion Oyster Project takes used oyster shells from participating restaurants like Zadie’s Oyster Room and replants them using #science to help restore New York City’s once thriving oyster population.

3. You’ll Learn How To Cook Oysters Rockefeller and Fried Oysters

We understand not everyone loves the taste of raw food. That’s why this Leisurely class includes a demonstration on cooked oyster dishes, like Oysters Rockefeller. Created at Antoine’s in honor of real life monopoly man John D. Rockefeller, this dish includes oysters on the half shell baked with butter breadcrumbs, parsley, and herbs. You’ll also learn how to properly fry oysters too so you can eventually make a proper po’boy sandwich as long as you don’t forget bread at the grocery store again.

Don’t forget, fried oysters are delicious too! Photo: Leisurely

4. You’ll be Eating Long Island Oysters With Chef Mike Campanile The Oyster Farmers Will Be There Too.

Want to learn more about the local terroir in which oysters are harvested? We’ve got you covered as farmers from Long Island’s Great South Bay and Peconic Bay will be on hand to answer your questions and provide more details about how they work with Zadie’s. And because sitting in traffic is Long Island’s national past time, you should really ask these farmers good questions since they’ve likely had the time to study up on the drive in.

Executive Chef Mike Campanile demonstrating a great method to shuck. Photo: Leisurely

5. Drink Wine, Take Home a Shucking Knife (Not The Other Way Around)

Though this class has plenty to offer in terms of education, at the end of the day we’re all here to have fun. That’s why everyone gets three glasses of wine to drink with their oysters, a pamphlet that includes all the oyster information you’ll ever need, and an actual shucking knife to practice with in your kitchen. We think that’s a pretty sweet deal, so much show we’re going to pun it up with an “Aww Shucks” to end this post. See you on Sunday!

The essentials to ditch your job and become a full time oyster farmer lie in these instructions (we think). Photo: Leisurely