Cook This Now! Joe Gurrera’s oyster shooters

The next few months ahead have one thing in common: they all have the letter “R” in them, and to oyster purists of the past, that was a strict guideline to eating the wild, briny bivalves.

That’s no longer the case thanks to refrigeration, modern transportation and reputable oyster farms that grow them year-round in our local waterways.

“Times have changed,” says Citarella owner and celebrated fishmonger Joe Gurrera. “Don’t believe that you should only eat oysters in the months that contain an “R,” which originates back to a time when harvesting wasn’t regulated and warm summer water temperatures could affect the oysters. Today, oysters harvested legally are safe to eat year-round.”

Gurrera’s recent tome, Joe Knows Fish: Taking the Intimidation Out of Cooking Seafood, includes experience-based, valuable tips for eating, shucking and preparing oysters, as well as easy-to-follow recipes for those who are new to cooking seafood and want to know the basics.

Where to begin? Let’s start with learning to shuck, probably why many of us opt not to try this at home. Gurrera debunks the fear with some safety tips, beginning with the tools needed. 

“If you’re going to shuck oysters, you need an oyster knife,” he explains. “If you use a kitchen knife, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Oyster shucking knives (available at Loaves & Fishes Cookshop in Bridgehampton) have narrow pointed blades with tapered edges that help pry the oyster shell open. They are shorter and squatter than clam knives.

The second rule of thumb? Wear a shucking glove. “A sturdy glove, sometimes made from steel mesh, will protect your hands when opening oysters and clams,” advises Gurrera. To shuck the oyster, Gurrera suggests these series of steps, recommending six oysters per person as an appetizer:

1.    Using an oyster knife, insert the blade into the top part of the shell, near the hinge, inserting it about halfway.

2.    Hold the oyster in your hand so the nook faces toward the tip of your pointer finger, then twist the knife.

3.    Run the blade along the top of the shell, scraping it to release the meat. Separate the shells and serve the oyster on a bed of seaweed or over crushed ice.

Better yet, how about rewarding yourself and your guests after mastering this new skill with a classic oyster shooter? Part hors d’oeuvre, part cocktail, this festive, slurp-in-one-gulp recipe from Gurrera is a perfect way to add a fun start to an evening dinner, made with raw oysters and vodka, served icy cold in a seafood salt-rimmed shot glass.

And while Gurrera’s version is fresh and clean with a touch of heat from Tabasco, feel free to jump off this formula and experiment with different mixers, especially if considering them for a brunch.

“Oyster shooters are a legend of their own,” says Ryan Flynn, owner of Bay Shore’s Salt & Barrel Oyster Bar (see photos above of Salt & Barrel’s appetizing version). “They are a versatile treat, but for brunch, what makes them the quintessential starter is that they are chilling and energizing. The perfect start, perhaps, after a long night.”

Proudly sourcing locally farmed oysters, Flynn and Gurrera both share a common cause in supporting localism, with Citarella offering Peconic and Fisher’s Island varieties at their Hamptons locations. Flynn is fond of Violet Cove Oysters, grown in the pristine waters of East Moriches, for her restaurant’s Bloody Mary shooters, opting to serve atop a bacon salt-rimmed shot glass. 

Are you inspired to try Gurrera’s recipe at home? Try using 100% pure Amagansett Sea Salt blended with Aleppo pepper and a touch of annatto for the salty rim of the shot glasses — raise ’em high to celebrate the coming months of “R”‘s.