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Shellfish: Shucking Oysters
Shellfish: Shucking Oysters
The shellfish family is made up of crustaceans segmented bodies, and jointed limbs. Most
and mollusks. Crustaceans, such as lobsters, mollusks have one or two hard shells, except
shrimp, and crabs, have an exterior skeleton, for octopus and squid, which don’t have a shell.
shucking oysters
To open (shuck) oysters, use a thick towel or napkin or wear a special
wire mesh glove to protect your hand from the sharp edges of the shell.
If you intend to serve oysters raw, scrub them well before shucking.
quick tip
When buying oysters and
clams, check that the
shells are tightly closed.
Discard any with broken
shells, as well as oysters
that smell “fishy” on
opening. After boiling or
steaming mollusks such as
clams and mussels, discard
any that are still closed.