Oysters with lemon

Opening an oyster is not difficult. It takes practice, a bit of strength, a special oyster knife, and a tea towel. First, check the oysters. They must be tightly closed; discard any that are open immediately. In the basket, oysters should always be stacked with the deeper part of the shell facing down. This is the only way to keep the internal water they need to live inside them. You will need a clean tea towel, an oyster knife (we recommend buying one, never open oysters with a knife you use to cut meat), and optionally a special chainmail glove (the glove is very expensive; if you do not work with oysters daily, it is better to learn to open oysters carefully using just a tea towel and an oyster knife). METHOD: 1. Hold the oyster firmly in a hand protected by a tea towel or a special glove, so that the rounded side is down and the pointed part (the hinge) is facing towards you. 2. Insert the tip of the knife into the hinge of the oyster and open the oyster with a prying, rotating motion of the knife. Cut the muscle holding the oyster closed away from the top shell, remove the top shell, and cut the muscle by which the oyster is attached to the bottom shell. If the oyster is fresh, there will be water in the shell after opening. Hold the oyster in the shell and pour the water out. This will wash away any sand that may be in the oyster and any dirt or "shards" that may have broken off during opening. The oyster will create its own second water. Oysters are served by the dozen or half-dozen, i.e., in groups of twelve or six.