Every oyster is shaped slightly differently and the shell is irregular. That makes opening them quite a challenge. But you’ll enjoy them all the more if you do the job yourself. Do it like this:
Protect your hand with a thick towel because the shell has sharp edges. Lay the oyster with the rounded side down so that the liquid will remain in the shell. Hold the oyster firmly and push the knife in at the hinge. This sometimes needs quite a bit of force. Make a twisting motion from your wrist until the upper shell comes free. Slide the blade along close to the upper shell to cut the muscle. Be careful not to touch the oyster itself and damage it. Remove the upper shell. Cut the muscle loose from the lower half too and turn the oyster over. And let the feast begin!
Our instruction video shows you how in less than a minute.