Fragrant steamed oysters with a sesame, soy and scallion drizzle is quick easy and a total crowd pleaser! Done in 20 minutes, these can be done in the oven or on your outdoor grill or BBQ. Let's get cookin'!
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Why Make These Asian Steamed Oysters
Oysters are an easy, healthy and delicious dinner or appetizer. I love these simple steamed oysters on the grill (or a tray in the oven) because cleanup is easy and they get so much flavor cooking in their own juice.
The liquor from the fresh oysters heats up and steams them right open, making the top shell easy to remove. A drizzle of my favourite sauce is the perfect, mouthwatering finish. A perfect starter for 2 or for a big crew.
Love oysters? Try my Miso Baked Oysters-(Motoyaki style), Crispy Fried Oysters With Lemon Caper Aioli or the my West Coast version of the East Coast favorite, Oyster Stew.
Fanny Bay Oysters
Wondering which oysters to use? The Fanny Bay variety are perfect for this recipe. Read along and I'll tell you a little more about some of the best oysters you can find!
Growing up on Vancouver Island in Canada, the first oysters I ate were Fanny Bay oysters. These lightly briny, minerally, sweet and meaty farmed oysters are some of the worlds best! They have a more distinctive rough beach shell texture.
Large Fanny Bays are the ones I use for all my cooked oyster dishes like the steamed oysters here and the ones in my oyster stew. I seek out the smaller ones if I'm going to enjoy them raw. I feel so lucky to live near these amazing shellfish but don't worry, most good fish mongers carry these fresh oysters or will order them in for you.
Vancouver Island is excellent for farming oysters with our pristine clear and cold ocean. These shellfish love cold water, staying firm and sweet. Fanny Bay oysters and the other varieties that grow here are an international delicacy.
Kusshi
Another variety that grows particularly well here are the Kusshis. Want your shell with a deep cup for lots of mignonette or oyster liquor? Kusshi oysters are the ones for you. Briny and delicate, these can be cooked but I think they are best eaten raw. They have a firm, meaty texture with a briny, cucumber like flavor. These farmed oysters are specially tumbled to create a deeper shell than other oysters. Grown for 3 to four years, they are available from end of summer to late spring.
Kusshi oysters tend to be easier to open or shuck than some of the others. Between that and their nice small size and firm texture, they are an excellent beginner oyster!
Kusshi and Kumamoto Oysters are often compared and share many characteristics with each other. Kusshi is considered the brinier of the two and more easily available, Kumamotos are usually grown a little south of us in Washington.
Classic Oyster Mignonette Recipe
Try my simple mignonette recipe for oysters on the half shell. Mignonette: Finely chop 2 tablespoon shallots, add to bowl. Top with 6 tablespoon Champagne vinegar (red or white wine vinegar work well too). Stir and let sit for 15 minutes up to overnight and serve alongside your oyster platter. Let guests spoon a teaspoon or so of the mignonette onto their oyster right before shooting it back.
Royal Miyagi
Grown in trays, this oyster has a slightly ruffled white and purply black shell. This mild and sweet oyster has cream and melon flavors with a an austere finish. These are so photogenic and their color and ruffles look royal like their name.
With their smooth, creamy texture, Royal Miyagi are a solid choice for raw or cooked oysters. Because of their small size, steaming in the shell is an excellent way to serve them if you choose to cook them.
Oceanwise
Oysters are an excellent Ocean wise choice. Have you heard about the Ocean wise program? It was developed near here by the Vancouver Aquarium in 2005. Started to protect oceans around the world from overfishing, pollution and climate change and other factors that affect our worldwide ecosystem, they do some amazing work.
Ocean wise successfully created a comprehensive list of sustainably harvested seafood. Their list includes a lot of details so you can look up any seafood or shellfish you aren't sure of and you can bet they've got it listed. In addition, they created a logo that restaurants around the world now use to denote ocean wise choices. This has been an amazing and successful way to bring awareness and accountability to the grocery and dining industry.
There are many kinds of oysters you can choose but I think BC's Ocean wise varieties are the best. Our cold and clear waters along with techniques to lower oysters into deeper colder water in summer result in the firmest, sweetest and most delicious oysters you can find. These are a luxury food choice you can feel good about.
Yes, you can freeze oysters in their shell or shucked but do not eat them raw once they've been frozen. Make sure you seal them in an airtight container or bag once frozen to maintain good quality and try to use them within 3 months. Frozen oysters lose a bit of their original texture but work great for cooked recipes like my Oysters Motoyaki (Miso Baked), just thaw first and drain any excess liquid gently. Or you can use them thawed without draining in my West Coast Oyster Stew, based on the East Coast original.
The best oyster wine pairing in my opinion, is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. (We love the Kim Crawford and the Oyster Bay Sauv Blancs.) There are many schools of thought on what to drink, but these bright, unoaked wines hint at lemon and are so palate cleansing and complimentary you can't go wrong. They have a wonderful minerality that plays off the shellfish beautifully. Sauvignon Blanc pairs really well with my rich and unctuous baked oysters too, an excellent foil for the tangy creamy flavours.
The French love Chablis, Muscadet and Champagne and I cannot disagree. We often enjoy a dry bubbly or Chablis as well.
For something out of the ordinary with this sesame soy steamed oyster recipe, a medium-dry to dry sake would also be a fun and unique pairing.
Albarino, a Spanish wine, is another bright and lively choice.
The key is to keep your wine bone dry and unoaked unless you are having a heavily sauced, cooked recipe that can handle a little more richness.
If you aren't into wine, a dry gin martini plays beautifully off the minerality of raw oysters. Why not go further and add a little oyster liquor instead of olive juice?
Vodka is another classic oyster house pairing. Make sure it is high quality and ice cold, served in small shot glasses.
If you choose beer, choose a refreshing and crisp beer, perhaps draught.
Enjoying some Ostras? Oysters in Spanish love a little Manzanilla sherry. It really is fun to pair your drinks to your mood, your location and especially to the style of recipe and this is no exception. Enjoy Manzanilla with ostras escabeche or raw.
A Platter Of Oysters
These bivalves make great party food. Steaming them on the grill like I do for this recipe, makes it easy and fairly mess free. Building an oyster platter is another great way to serve them up to friends.
A 3 tiered tray or serving dish really adds to the festive feel when stacked high with shucked oysters and accompaniments, just like the seafood towers in France!
Favorite pairings are wedges or lemon, freshly grated horseradish, hot sauce like tobasco and mignonette. Mignonette is a simple mixture or finely diced shallot macerated in vinegar, usually champagne, red or white wine vinegar but you can play around and get creative.
Storage
Oysters, like most seafood and especially shellfish, are best fresh. These should not be made ahead, although the sesame soy sauce can be made up to a week ahead if you omit the green onions (scallions) and add them at the time of serving. Be sure to cover and refrigerate the sauce until you need it.
Leftover cooked oysters can be kept covered in your fridge safely for 2 days. For ideal flavor, I recommend eating them by the following day.
The oysters will not freeze well once cooked.
Related Recipes
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Cheers friends! Sabrina
Recipe
Fanny Bay Steamed Oysters with Sesame Soy Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ c Soy Sauce I use Kikkoman
- 2 tablespoon Water
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoon Scallion or Chives, finely chopped
- Optional A few dashes of hot sauce
- 12-24 Fanny Bay Oysters in their shell Size medium to large
Instructions
- Preheat grill or oven to 500'F. Mix together all ingredients except oysters and set aside.
- Place oysters on the grill with the deepest (cup) side of their shell down and close the lid. If you are using your oven, put them on a baking sheet with edges. If you want to keep them upright to save their liquor, pile some kosher salt and nestle them in it and place tray of oysters in the oven.
- Grill for 5 minutes or until you see the shells start to open. Some shells may open a lot, others may only open a few millimeters so yo may need to look closely. (I've added a picture for reference. The front oyster opened the most, the ones behind you can barely but they are open too. Oysters don't always open as widely as clams and mussels when steamed.)
- Remove from the grill or oven, let cool a minute. Prepare a platter with some rock salt or kosher salt and then pry the top shells off with an oyster shucker, knife or just your hands. You may want a washable oven mitt for this job as they will be hot. Once the top shells are off, place them open side up on the platter, using the salt to hold them upright.
- Spoon a teaspoon of the soy mixture over each one and serve. (This is a salty mixture so 1 teaspoon is enough for each.)
Nutrition
Joss
These make me miss Vancouver Island. Very good recipe!
SabCurrie
Thanks Joss! I didn’t know you used to live here!
Bernice
This is SUCH a mouthwatering post! I have been craving a good oyster feed for so darn long. I love all the great tips you've posted here and it's the perfect primer on varieties. My fave are Kushi.
SabCurrie
Thanks Bernice, nothing like a platter of oysters is there?!
Vanessa
Love the wine pairing suggestions! I can't wait to sit out on the balcony and enjoy a platter of these oysters and a glass of wine.
nancy
Ive been craving fresh oysters and miss going out to restaurants for them. Thanks for sharing these mouth watering photos!
Vijitha
Yummm! These pictures are making me drool - I love fresh oysters! Thanks for the clear instructions on how to steam them, and for the wine pairing ideas!
SabCurrie
You’re welcome Vijitha! Thanks you for your kind words. Have a lovely day
Jessica Formicola
We love oysters, but I've never tried making them at home! This recipe looks wonderful and I can't wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing.
Katie Youngs
Yum! I love oysters and have been looking for a new way to prepare them.
Andrea White
what a super simple recipe! love the presentation also!
Sabrina Currie
Thanks Andrea!
Kayla DiMaggio
These steamed oysters are so delicious! I love how easy they were!
Sabrina Currie
Thank you Kayla! I’m so glad you liked them, and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Cheers!
Jeannie
Finally, I can make them at home too. Thanks for the easy recipe.
Sabrina Currie
You’re welcome, thanks for letting me know Jeannie 🙂
Linda
These all look so good! Do you get Fanny Bay oysters In Campbell River or do you go down to Fanny Bay? They are my hubs Fav,t hanks.
Sabrina Currie
I usually buy the oysters in Fanny Bay which isn’t too far from Campbell River. I have seen them in other grocery stores occasionally and they have a shop in Vancouver too.