18 of Our Favorite Oyster Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the name of the famous oyster dish? ›

Oysters Rockefeller

First created at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans in 1899, this famous baked oyster dish was named for the Rockefeller family because of its incredibly rich sauce. Try making it at home with star chef Emeril Lagasse's expert recipe.

Steaming is one of the simplest and quickest cooking methods for oysters, needing just a few minutes for them to cook through using this moist-heat technique. The gentle steam allows the briny oysters to cook while keeping their natural juices and flavors intact. All you need is a pot with a steamer basket.

By striking the perfect balance between sweet, savory, and salty, the Olympia oyster has earned its place among the best oysters out there. Although there are a fair few oysters that call the Pacific Northwest their home, these Olympia oysters are the only known native species of the region.

1. Crassostrea Gigas, or Pacific Oysters. The Crassostrea gigas, better known to most people as the Pacific oyster, are popular on the West Coast in the U.S. and in Europe, and may even grow more popular than native Olympia oysters. These oysters are the most cultivated in the world.

The most iconic cooked oyster dish is of course oysters Rockefeller. This dish, invented at Antoine's in 1889, is virtually synonymous with New Orleans.

At some point before shucking, you will need to give the oysters a scrub-down to remove any dirt, mud, sand, shell fragments, or other crud that you don't want to end up slurping down. I like to get that cleaning step out of the way as soon as I get the oysters home.

Rule of thumb is at least 4,000 years old. Foodie tradition dictates only eating wild oysters in months with the letter “r” – from September to April – to avoid watery shellfish, or worse, a nasty bout of food poisoning. Now, a new study suggests people have been following this practice for at least 4,000 years.

Oysters are much more versatile than you think. While the plump, briny bivalves are, of course, spectacular served raw with a squeeze of lemon, they are also great for grilling, frying, stirring into creamy chowder — you get the picture.

What pairs nicely with oysters? ›

Champagnes typically have a yeasty, bready flavor that add some depth to the pairing. The bubbles of champagne or a dry sparkling wine also provide a textural contrast against the smooth texture of oysters. If there's any one classic pairing for oysters, it's the always-bright, always-crisp muscadet.

Slurp, Then Chew

Slurping, not chewing is a myth too frequently attached to oyster eating. Use a tiny fork to release the oyster, then pick up the shell and slurp down the oyster, chewing once or twice before swallowing.

Among Eastern oysters, Colville Bays have full citrus flavor and perfect salinity, Glidden Points are big and briny. For mineral-rich, savory intensity, Moonstones, Oysterponds, and Widow's Holes are your best bets. Some feel that a Totten Virginica combines the best of both coasts in one oyster.

Although France is normally the first place that springs to mind for the world's best oysters, the Delta de l'Ebre, situated between Barcelona and Valencia, it a top contender. The oysters are said to have a unique flavour as they combine the saltiness of the Mediterranean with the sweet freshness of the River Ebro.

The Matoya oyster, suitable for raw consumption, is especially famous. You can eat both Pacific (raw oysters) and Iwagaki oysters. In a 2021 Internet poll, Mie Prefecture was ranked the best prefecture in Japan for delicious oysters.

The most famous oyster in the world, Belons are harvested from all over France and finished in special walled ponds (“claires”) in the brackish waters of the Belon River, a process the French call “affinage.”

American Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

Pinctada is a genus of saltwater oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pteriidae. These pearl oysters have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as "mother of pearl".