3 Ways to Dress Up Your Oysters

Someone once said, eating an oyster is like kissing a mermaid 💋

When you’re lucky enough to call Atlantic Canada home, fresh-caught seafood, right out of the ocean is easily one of the best perks. Whether you’re in the mood for lobster, mussels, scallops, clams, or—you guessed it— oysters … we’ve got some of the best in the world.

Unless you’re new around these waters, you know that oysters are hands down one of my favourite treats. We pick up a box of fresh oysters almost every Saturday morning at the market and I always order some oysters to start when we dine out.

Love em’ or hate em’—did you know that oysters are actually super good for you? They’re a great source of protein, they promote a healthy heart, they have unprecedented levels of zinc to give you a boosted immune system, they help with blood circulation and promote healthy bones.

Oh, and did I mention that they’re an aphrodisiac? Valentine’s is coming, friends.

Whether you’re new to oysters and willing to give them a shot or you’re like me and eating them every weekend—it’s always fun to dress up your oysters from time to time. (Though eating them raw just the way they are will always be my first choice.)

Here are my three easy go-to ways to dress up raw oysters at home!

A SLICE OF LEMON

We’re a lemon-water household, so we always have fresh cut lemons in the fridge. If you’re looking to add a pinch of flavour to your raw oysters to highlight the taste, just squeeze a pinch of lemon on them.

A SCOOP OF HORSERADISH

My favourite way to eat raw oysters with a garnish is with a small scoop of chilled horseradish. Horseradish is a root vegetable and the key ingredient found in seafood cocktail sauce. It’s often served with oysters in restaurants as a condiment on the side.

The horseradish gives the oyster just the right amount of heat and in my opinion, the flavour burst of the two together is divine.

A SCOOP OF TORSHEE

Want to take your oysters to the next level? Try Dan’s favourite way to eat raw oysters by adding a spoonful of torshee.

Torshee is a blend of fermented and pickled vegetables which adds a unique taste with a little bit of bite to your oyster experience.

We pick up our torshee locally here in Atlantic Canada from Russel and Sons. You can find it at a number of retailers across the Maritimes.

And there you have it my saltwater, sea-treat loving folks. Now you know all of our oyster snacking secrets!

Except for Dan’s delicious version of Oyster Rockefeller, but I’m working on getting him to spill the tea.

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