How To Shuck Raw Oysters

Raw oysters on a half-shell are the best in the winter, but serving them at home is just a tad intimidating, mostly due to the expert shucking skills required to serve a dozen.

Greg Babinecz of San Francisco's Waterbar showed The Daily Meal how to shuck oysters two different ways: in your hand, or on a cutting board. Of course, a glove and protection is suggested for both methods, as well as a Boston-style shucker, which Babinecz recommends for a novice oyster shucker (around $12, Babinecz says, at any kitchen supply store).

"There are a couple of different style shuckers that work specicially for other oysters, but I find the Boston shucker to be the most universal," Babinecz says. This is coming from a guy who won the oyster shucking competition at OysterFest 2010.

Watch the video for the basics in oyster shucking, and then practice on some 10,000 oysters (carefully!) before you get any good.