History

The Chesapeake Bay has been the largest US oyster fishery for two centuries. Old Ebbitt Grill, founded in 1856 four blocks from the White House, has run a marble oyster bar continuously since the 19th century; its Oyster Riot each November is the national reference event. The Salt Line on Penn Quarter Avenue SE codifies the contemporary Chesapeake-meets-New-England oyster house.

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Common allergens: Molluscs

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 25 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 24 live East Coast oysters (a mix of Rappahannock, Chincoteague, Choptank, Stingray, or any Chesapeake appellation)
  • Crushed ice, to plate
  • 2 lemons, cut into wedges
  • Saltine crackers, to serve
  • Tabasco or local Mid-Atlantic hot sauce
  • Cocktail sauce (60ml ketchup, 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, juice of half a lemon, half teaspoon Worcestershire)
  • For the mignonette: 80ml red wine vinegar
  • 80ml sherry vinegar
  • 1 small shallot finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • pinch of sugar
  • Brown butter (optional, 60g for warm-finish service)

Method

  1. Buy the oysters live, with shells closed tight; any open oyster that does not snap closed when tapped goes back to the fishmonger.
  2. Scrub the shells under cold running water with a stiff brush.
  3. Mix the mignonette ingredients. Rest at room temperature 30 minutes for the shallot to soften.
  4. Whisk the cocktail sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
  5. Set up a wide platter with a generous bed of crushed ice.
  6. To shuck, hold the oyster cup-side down in a folded tea towel on a sturdy board. Insert the oyster knife into the hinge at the pointed end, twist firmly until you feel the hinge pop.
  7. Slide the knife along the top shell to release the adductor muscle. Lift off the top shell.
  8. Slide the knife under the meat on the bottom shell to release. Check for shell fragments. Keep the liquor in the cup.
  9. Nest the oyster cup-side down on the ice as you go. Work fast; 24 oysters should take a practised shucker 15 minutes.
  10. Serve immediately with mignonette in a small bowl, cocktail sauce, lemon wedges, hot sauce and saltines on the side. Each diner tops their own.

Tip from the editors. Slurp the oyster from the shell; do not chew. The liquor is the dish. A drop of mignonette is a finish, not a sauce; if you cannot taste the brine, you used too much.

Where to eat chesapeake bay raw oysters

Chesapeake Bay raw oysters in Washington DC

Old Ebbitt Grill ★ 4.0

$$$ AmericanDowntown

Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington DC is the city's oldest saloon, founded 1856 and now serving 1.5 million guests a year across four bars at its 15th Street.

OrderThe crab cake plate; the kitchen runs through 1000 cakes a week and the binder is invisibly thin.

TipThe 15:00-18:00 oyster Happy Hour is the city's best seafood deal at $1.95 each; sit at the Old Bar.

Directions Book

The Salt Line ★ 4.5

$$$ New England SeafoodNavy Yard

The Salt Line in Washington DC is the Navy Yard New England-style seafood room overlooking Diamond Teague Park, with Connecticut-style lobster rolls.

OrderThe hot Connecticut-style lobster roll on a butter-toasted bun; the menu favourite since opening.

TipPatio runs from April to October and faces the Anacostia Booking recommended for weekends.

Directions Book

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