Open at the last moment
Open oysters less than 30 minutes before serving. Protect your hand with a cloth, insert the knife near the hinge, sever the muscle along the top shell.
Discard the first liquor
The move every chef makes: pour out the first liquor. A second, finer and more expressive of the terroir, re-forms within moments. That is the one to savour.
Plain, first
To judge a great oyster, taste it plain. Lemon and shallot vinegar are pleasures, but they mask subtlety. On an Ostra Regal, let the iodine and hazelnut speak.
The right pairing
Rye bread, salted butter, a glass of well-chilled mineral white. Serve on crushed ice, cup-side down to keep the liquor.
