How to shuck an oyster

The native oyster season begins in September and lasts so long as the month has an 'r' in its name. In the picture gallery below Frederik Lindfors, six-time British oyster shucking champion, shows how it's done...

By The Artful Diner (@TheArtfulDiner)

The oysters in the bucket above are native, as opposed to rock oysters, which were imported to Europe from the Pacific 30 years ago to boost stocks. Cheaper than natives, rock oysters are available all-year round and grow at five times the rate, making them half the price.

In appearance, native oysters are flatter than their Pacific cousins and have a differing flavour depending on which part of UK waters they come from. The ones above are from West Mersea and have a particular plump, salty, silkiness.

I love to eat them, but getting the blighters open can be a little daunting. There are a few different methods and knives to choose from, so I thought I'd share with you Frederik's oyster technique shucking up close...

Further information:

If you're looking for places to dine out on oysters, D&D London's restaurants Bluebird, Quaglinos, Le Pont de la Tour, Butlers Wharf Chop House, Paternoster Chop House, Fish Market, Angler and Kensington Place (Frederik is manager of the Fish Shop at Kensington Place) are all good options.