Oysters not to die for

Types of oysters
Much confusion surrounds the differences between pacific or rock oysters, and the more pricey native with its superior gourmet reputation. But the contrast is not so extreme as, say, between farmed and wild salmon, and, of course, all oysters are farmed.

Native: the native flat-shelled oyster (famously from Whitstable, Rossmore and Galway) are seasonal, and are available between September and April, (out of season they are spawning and become overly milky, calcified and not so tasty) and take longer, up to six or seven years, to reach maturity.

Pacific: more disease-resistant rock or Pacific oysters have a frillier shell, less substantial flesh, can be eaten all year round and mature in two to three years. Pacific oysters come originally from Japan, and are the most widely cultured oyster in the world. They're supposed to be creamier than the Atlantic oyster.

Open sesame!
'Pepe' Espinoza Valerio, champion oyster shucker of London restaurant and oyster bar, Green's, broke the world oyster opening record by opening 100 oysters in 7 minutes and 32 seconds - not something to attempt at home. To open oysters, he suggests:

1. Wrap a thick teacloth around your hand for protection, hold the oyster with the more rounded shell downwards to catch the juice.
2. Insert the short oyster knife just to the right of the hinge at the back of the oyster shell and wriggle the blade determinedly, yet gently, to sever the muscle which holds the shell together.
3. Then the top membrane should be cut first, leaving the oyster free from its shell, but still in place.
4. Alternatively and less manfully, pop oysters into a microwave for 20 seconds or place on a hot grill top for two to three minutes until they open, finishing off the job with a knife if necessary.

Where to shell out...
Green's Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 36 Duke St, St James's, SW1. Tel: 020 7930 4566
Bibendum Oyster Bar, Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd SW3. Tel: 020 7581 5817
Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House, 21 Romilly Street, London W1. Tel: 020 7439 0450
Fish! Cathedral Street, SE1 9AL. Tel: 020 7407 3803 (for the Fish! delivery service, tel: 0207 407 3801- rock oysters from 60p each); branches in Battersea, Waterloo, Docklands, Guildford and Birmingham. See www.diner.co.uk.
Loch Fyne Restaurants in Twickenham, 175 Hampton Rd, Twickenham. Tel: 0208 255 6222. Also in Barnet, Winchester, Cambridge, Nottingham and Peterborough, as well as at Loch Fyne, Cairndow on the West Coast of Scotland. See www.loch-fyne.com
Royal Naval Oyster Stores, The Horsebridge, Whitstable CT5 1BU. Tel: 01227 276856
Butley Oysterage, Market Hill, Orford, Suffolk. Tel: 01394 450277
Riverside Restaurant, West Bay, Dorset DT6 4EZ. Tel: 01308 422011