Oysters are among the most commonly used of the shell fish. The bivalves, including oysters, mussels, clams, and scallops, have white flesh and are easily digested. The crustaceans, including lobsters, crabs, and shrimps, have red flesh and are more difficult to digest than are the fish of white flesh.

Oysters are in season from September to May. They are wholesome but not so palatable during the other months. Although oysters are not very nutritious, they have a place in the diet since they serve as appetizers. The tough muscle and gills are not as easily digested as the remainder of the body. When these are removed, as they often are before cooking, the oyster is said to be bearded.

Selection And Preparation Of Oysters

Only fresh oysters should be selected. Oysters are now transported in containers surrounded by ice. Preservatives are not used. When possible, oysters should be bought in the shell.

To open an oyster shell one should first wash the shells thoroughly with a brush and plenty of water. A thin flat knife may then be pushed under the upper valve, the muscle that holds it in the shell cut, and the upper shell or valve, raised and lifted off.

To clean the oysters after they have been opened, they should be placed in a colander, the colander placed over a bowl and cold water poured over the oysters, using 1/2 cup of water to 1 quart of oysters. Each oyster should be examined carefully, and any bits of shell removed. The liquor is then poured off carefully, and reserved for use in sauces.

Methods Of Serving Oysters

Oysters may be served either raw or cooked. When raw they are served generally on the half shell, in cocktails, or with vinegar sauce. When cooked, they may be roasted, panned, broiled, sauted, fried, served in sauces, scalloped, served in stews, in pastry cups, in croustades, or bread cases.

To serve oysters on the half shell.

(1) Use small varieties, such as blue points; (2) serve the oysters raw only when they are perfectly fresh; (3) open the oysters; (4) clean them; (5) chill them; (6) arrange a bed of cracked ice on each plate; (7) arrange from four to six of the deeper valves on this ice bed having the valve side toward the center of the plate; (8) place a chilled oyster on each shell; (9) in the center of the plate, place a quarter of a lemon on a sprig of parsley; (10) serve the oysters with salt, pepper, cayenne, horse-radish, tabasco sauce, or tomato catsup.

Oyster Cocktail

(1) Clean and chill oysters, allowing five oysters for each person to be served; (2) use tomato catsup or mix the following ingredients for sauce (to serve twelve persons):

1 tablespoon horse-radish 5 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4= teaspoon tabasco 3 tablespoons tomato catsup

2 tablespoons vinegar 1 1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons Worcestershire.

(3) Place five oysters in a sherbet cup or sherry glass; grapefruit shells, lemon shells, tomato cups, green pepper cups, or cups of tomato jelly set in beds of ice may be used instead of sherbet cups; (4) add 1 tablespoon of the sauce.

Cooking Of Oysters

(1) Oysters require very little cooking; (2) put them over the fire in their own liquor; (3) remove them as soon as they are plump, or the gills become curled, for longer cooking makes them tough; (4) cracker crumbs are better than breadcrumbs for mixing with oysters.