Another year (and decade) is coming to an end, and that means that it’s time for parties and celebrations! Whether you’re the kind of person who loves a big end-of-year knees-up or somebody who prefers a quiet night in, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy excellent food options.
At Fine Food Specialist, we’re a natural choice in terms of providing top-quality food for winter celebrations. And one of our specialities is one of the most luxurious, delicious foods on the planet - oysters. We know a thing or two about how to enjoy oysters, and the best way to get the most out of your buy. So take a look through the latest Fine Food Specialist blog and get the kind of oysters that will make this New Year one to remember.
How to Store Oysters
Depending on when you buy your oysters, there may well be a period of time when you need to store your purchase. There should obviously be a level of concern taken with storing oysters. As anybody who has ever eaten dodgy seafood will know all too well, there can be some pretty dire consequences if foods like oysters aren’t stored correctly. So when looking to store your oysters, be sure to take adequate precautions.
Planning a big New Year celebration? Add oysters to the mix to take things to new levels of luxury. Read the latest Fine Food Specialist blog. With regards to fresh oysters, you can keep these in your fridge in a bowl with ice and a damp towel over the top for around 2 days. Do not shuck the oysters until just before you eat them, and be sure to keep them in their shells until you want to enjoy them.
You can also freeze oysters with relative ease. Keep them in their oyster shells, stick them in a freezer-safe container, seal it and you can keep them safe and sound for up to 3 months. But be sure to fully thaw your frozen oysters before eating!
Cooked Oysters for New Year’s
Once you’ve safely stored your oysters, it’s time to start cooking and getting them ready to enjoy on your big night! There are a number of easy ways to cook oysters - each offering their own twist on the way you interact with the flavours within the oyster. Steaming oysters, roasting oysters and frying oysters are all viable cooking options and you may already have a preferred option.
For more info, take a look at this blog on the many different ways to cook oysters and how to best enjoy them.
Enjoying Raw Oysters
Many people’s preferred way of consuming oysters is enjoying them raw. This is the best way to enjoy oysters in their purest forms, and gives a true feel of the flavoursome, seafood wonder that oysters are. Do be careful with raw oysters to ensure they’re high-quality ones and safe to eat, but there’s no reason not to sample the delights of raw oysters this new year.
Fresh or Frozen?
You may be asking yourself whether there is much difference between eating oysters fresh and eating oysters frozen. The natural assumption with many foods is that fresh is best and that eating foods while they are in their freshest condition is the way to go. But that’s not necessarily the case. There’s no reason why frozen oysters can’t be enjoyed just as much.
Plus, ordering before Christmas can help you ensure you get your oyster products in plenty of time so you can enjoy frozen oysters as part of your New Year’s celebrations. We think fresh and frozen are both viable options, so whichever way you choose to go there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy top-quality oysters this new year.
Flavour, Flavour, Flavour
Oysters go really well with a host of different flavours and seasonings. There are a host of great ways to complement your oyster dish, and we’ve picked out a few favourites here. If you want to keep things simple, a squeeze of lemon juice is a good option to provide a citrusy burst to your meal. Red wine vinegar and cocktail sauces can both jazz up your oyster bar selection, while we’ve spoken previously about our love of Nduja butter as a complement to oysters. These are all a great way to make the very most of your New Year’s oyster buy.
There’s always a bit of controversy about how to eat oysters. If you want to start chewing, you can enjoy the full flavour profile more extensively. But there’s also the old letting it slip straight down approach. We think flavour is important, so chewing the oyster is a good approach but the choice is very much yours.
Buy Oysters Online from Fine Food Specialist
Fine Food Specialist offers a superb selection of oyster products for you to buy for a sensational New Year’s celebration. Take a look through our full range, including Rock Oysters, Maldon Oysters and Fine Claire Oysters. These products all come fresh and are a great way to quickly and effectively enjoy luxury food over this holiday season.
We also have oyster knives available to help make preparations that bit easier. Be sure to browse through our full range at Fine Food Specialist, and have a New Year to remember this year! Get in touch if you have any questions.
