The “juice” of a Malpeque oyster is not actually juice. It’s a half-ounce or so of distilled Atlantic Ocean that the prized mollusk seals inside its shell, like a time capsule, the moment it’s pulled from the sea. If performed correctly, the shuck — the jab-and-twist motion of forcing the creature to let go — will preserve every precious drop of that ambrosial brine for the palate.

That said, like a golf swing, the oyster shuck is not something you can learn by reading a book. You need a qualified coach to get the correct motion down, and on Prince Edward Island, that’s John Bil, a former oysterman and three-time Canadian Oyster Shucking Champion.

“Shucking is a serious thing,” explains Bil. “If you’ve been involved in the business like I have, you understand how hard it is to produce an oyster. When you go to a restaurant and see someone shredding them — well, it fills you with despair. I mean, you have to ask yourself, ‘What criminal acts are being performed here?’”

Savor the delicacy without running afoul of culinary law; sign up for “Shucking 101,” Bil’s two-hour workshop, available in Charlottetown, PEI, between June and October. “At the end of the day,” the master promises, “you'll see how good an oyster can really be.”
www.walkandseacharlottetown.com