Shucking, the new critical life skill.

Can you balance a budget? Change a tire? Change a diaper? Who cares? What really matters is whether you can get inside that oyster shell. So let’s take care of that.

Choose your weapon.

You’re going to need a kitchen towel and an oyster knife. Fold the towel and use it to protect your thumb. You want to keep your thumb, right?

Grip and wiggle.

Hold an oyster in your hand with the protected thumb, hinge side out. Then work the knife point into the hinge and wiggle it firmly.

Release the hinge.

When you feel the hinge start to give, rotate your knife to release it, and wipe it on the towel to clean any grit off it. Grit in your teeth is as bad as hair.

The grand detach.

Run the knife’s edge along the oyster’s sides to open the shell fully—detach the top shell, and slide it underneath.

Dig in.

You’re in. That’s it. Either eat it right away, or open a whole bunch first.