History

Loch Fyne, the long sea loch an hour west of Glasgow, has farmed oysters since the 1970s, when the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar was founded at its head. Scottish oysters were once so common they were a poor man's food; today they are a delicacy shucked to order in the city's seafood rooms. Crabshakk and Gamba pour them straight from the west-coast beds.

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Common allergens: Molluscs

Make it at home

Yield Serves 2Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 12 fresh Scottish oysters
  • 1 shallot, very finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • Crushed ice to serve
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Make the mignonette by stirring the shallot into the red wine vinegar with a little pepper; leave for 10 minutes.
  2. Hold each oyster cup-side down in a folded cloth to protect your hand.
  3. Work the tip of a shucking knife into the hinge and twist to pop the shell open.
  4. Run the knife under the oyster to release it, keeping the liquor in the shell.
  5. Set the oysters on a bed of crushed ice.
  6. Serve with the mignonette and lemon wedges.

Tip from the editors. Keep each oyster cup-side down as you shuck so you do not lose the briny liquor, which is half the pleasure.

Where to eat loch fyne oysters

Loch Fyne oysters in Glasgow

Crabshakk ★ 4.6

£££ SeafoodFinnieston

Crabshakk is the tiny Finnieston seafood bar that sparked Glasgow's Argyle Street boom, a marble counter of langoustine, oysters and fried haddock.

OrderA plate of langoustine with garlic butter and a glass of the house white.

TipThe upstairs mezzanine and the counter both take walk-ins, so try your luck if the booking diary looks full.

Directions Book

Gamba ★ 4.4

££££ SeafoodCity Centre

Gamba is Glasgow's long-running seafood basement on West George Street, where a fish-first kitchen has drawn diners across Scotland for over two decades.

OrderThe fish soup with crab, ginger and prawn dumpling, a menu fixture since Gamba opened.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

TipThe pre-theatre menu before 18:45 is one of the best-value fine-dining seafood deals in the city.

Directions Book

The Finnieston ★ 4.2

£££ SeafoodFinnieston

The Finnieston is a snug former drovers' tavern on Argyle Street, Glasgow, pairing sustainable Scottish seafood with more than 60 gins in a candlelit room.

OrderA gin and tonic from the long list, then whatever shellfish is freshest that day.

TipIt is as much a gin bar as a restaurant, so come early for a drink before the kitchen gets busy.

Directions Book

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