A Quintessential Valentine’s Day Seafood Recipe

February 14th marks an occasion to celebrate love, whether a relationship is romantic, friendly, or familial. Valentine’s Day seafood dinner recipe ideas fit perfectly with plans to embrace hearts, flowers, and chocolates. Enjoy a seafood recipe that covers all the bases–tantalize the taste buds with a potential side effect of invigorating romantic desire. The Valentine’s Day seafood idea that follows utilizes the seafood most associated with stirrings of romantic desire but is also perfect for sharing with besties, platonic pals, as well as your most cherished kin.

Roasted Oysters

The Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, sprang forth from the sea on the shell of an oyster, giving birth to the term “aphrodisiac.” The food more legendary than any other for being an aphrodisiac is, of course, the oyster. But the connection between oysters and sexual desire doesn’t simply come from Greek mythology. The science validates the myth. Foods with high zinc content are known to increase sexual desire and also, while we’re on the subject of science, sperm production.

The following recipe for roasted oysters promises a buttery, creamy, meal with few ingredients and stress-free meal prep.

Ingredients:

• Two dozen oysters
• Eight Tablespoons of Butter
• ¼ cup of chopped parsley
• One and a half tablespoons of lemon zest
• Two tablespoons of chopped shallots
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• A buttery baguette

Directions:

1. Using a food processor or blender to create a creamy mix, combine the butter, parsley, lemon zest, roasted garlic, shallots, black pepper, and a dash of sea salt. Try a mouth-watering taste for a preview of what’s to come.
2. Preheat the oven to 375º F.
3. While the oven is heating, prep the oysters. Scrub your oysters in cool water until they are clean.
4. Half the oysters using an oyster knife. Place them on a baking sheet one shell apart. (New to working with oysters? Details on shucking oysters are below.)
5. For delectable creaminess, dollop about one TBSP of lemon garlic butter onto each oyster.
6. Roast the oysters in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes and serve. You know the roasted oysters are ready when the butter has melted completely, saturating the shell.
7. (Optional) Pair with crisp champagne, a great match with the world’s most famous aphrodisiac.

How to Shuck Oysters

Supplies needed to shuck oysters are:

• Nipper pliers, which are available at hardware stores
• Oyster knife
• Tea towel

1. After cleaning your fresh, well-chilled oysters, hold an oyster flat with the rounded side down.
2. Use the nipper pliers to break off the oyster’s thin brittle end. This will expose an opening to the inside.
3. Place the oyster inside a tea towel that has been folded to make a pad. Leave the oyster hinge exposed. At the hinge, insert the oyster knife and twist, which will pop the hinge. Remove the top shell.
4. Holding the oyster level so that juices aka brine can be retained, run the oyster knife under the meat. This releases the muscle from the shell. Do not spill the brine inside the shell because it adds the fresh and salty aroma of the sea.

In Wethersfield, CT, City Fish Market’s fresh shell oysters are perfect for romantic dinners this and every Valentine’s Day. We are the seafood suppliers for the finest Valentine’s Day restaurants in Connecticut and the Western shores of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. You can be confident in the freshness of the oysters and the high-quality customer service at City Fish Market. Visit us or call today at 860-522-3129 to seal the deal on the perfect Valentine’s Day seafood meal.