Here’s how to eat oysters *just the right way* according to chef Tom Brown
The UK has a love story with seafood and boasts a diverse and thriving restaurant scene that goes way beyond fish and chips. Among London’s food leaders, Cornwall-born chef Tom Brown has an inventive, ingredient-focused approach to preparing seafood. With a particular love for oysters—which he sources from Cooley Peninsula suppliers, in Ireland—the chef has created a highly personal and seasonal menu at sultry Shoreditch gem Pearly Queen.
September marks the beginning of native oyster season in the UK, but trying an oyster for the first time can feel challenging. From how to shuck an oyster to the question on ‘chewing or swallowing’, here’s how to eat oysters like a chef this Autumn.
How to eat oysters?
Here’s how to pick, shuck, serve and pair them like a chef
When is oyster season?
In the northern hemisphere, the old rule that native oysters should only be eaten when there’s an ‘r’ in the month still holds some truth. ‘From May to end of August it’s spawning season. That’s when oysters reproduce. During that time, they become milky’, says Tom. Their taste and texture intensifies as the water cools down to obtain their finest flavour by the end of summer.
How to tell if oysters are good or bad?
‘The easiest way to tell if they’re good is whether they’re opened or not. When buying oysters make sure they’re sealed nice and close’, Tom explains. ‘When they’re good, they should smell like the sea, and when opening them up they should be meaty and plump’. Add to that a nice teardrop shape, and a clean shell, and you’ve got the perfect oyster to savour.
How to eat oysters? Is it better to chew them or swallow them?
‘Chewing, 100%. Oysters absorb the environment, they’ve spent 4 years in the water and have soaked up all the nutrients. When eating an oyster, you should taste the characteristics of that place, you want to feel the difference’, Tom says. ‘It’s like a good wine, you want to savour it‘.
Are oysters healthy? What are their main benefits?
Oysters are really good for the body and contain many health benefits. ‘They’re very low in calories, they have many minerals, proteins and zinc’, says Tom.
It’s also believed that oysters are aphrodisiacs…
‘Yes they are’, Tom says. ‘The zinc can increase sex drive, and the act of eating oysters adds to the sensual part of it’. Next date night out sorted.
Credit: @lateef.photography, Pearly Queen
What drink pairs well with oysters?
‘Champagne. Even though oysters don’t have a lot of fat, they have a sort of fatty feel in the mouth that dry wine or Champagne cuts through nicely’, Tom continues, ‘Cocktail-wise, that would be a martini’. The signature Pearly Martini at Pearly Queen features Grey Goose or Bombay Premier Cru with a blend of Picpoul and a pearl onion that provides the ultimate pairing to any oyster or seafood dish.
Chef’s Recs
Chef Tom Brown’s favourite go-to’s in London for more great food and drinks
What would be your perfect dinner menu from starter to dessert?
Dozen oysters to start raw, followed by a grilled lobster, and a tiramisù.
The must-try star of the menu that diners can’t miss at Pearly Queen?
Crispy buffalo oysters with ranch dressing, the crab bun with chilli crack, and the Hake Kyiv with truffle butter, and potato purée.
Credit: @lateef.photography, Pearly Queen
Favourite place for Sunday roast?
The Marksman in Hackney, and The Culpeper in Shoreditch.
Favourite cocktail bar?
Three Sheets in Dalston, and A Bar with Shapes for a Name in Haggerston.
Ready for Autumn in London? Explore more cosy dining in and around the city.
