Well, shucks

The oyster community with Jason Nagy

It takes seconds: a knife jabs into a small crack in the shell and, after a few wiggles, off it pops, revealing a briny bivalve that people love to pair with sparkling wine. A few more scrapes along the inside, and professional chef and shucker Jason Nagy sets a beautifully unlocked oyster on ice before moving on to the next.

It’s nearly the middle of what most consider to be oyster-eating season, but Nagy explained how some traditions are better broken. “When people say that you can’t have oysters in months that don’t contain “er”—that’s not true. When there was no refrigeration, you couldn’t eat oysters from warmer waters because they would develop bacteria that’s harmful to humans,” he said. Now, oysters can be eaten year-round.

Born and raised in Montreal, Nagy has a clear passion for his craft and an entrepreneurial streak. He’s been a chef for around 11 years, and an oyster shucker for five. A year-and-a-half ago, Nagy started his own business, Shuck Me, to capitalize on the growing popularity of oysters. Yes, he hears shucking puns all day.

Shuck Me provides oysters and staff for several restaurants in the Montreal area, including Grinder, Flyjin, and L’Aromate Bistro. Nagy’s company also works private or fundraiser events.

Though the business keeps him busy, Nagy still finds time to compete in adrenaline-pumping shucking competitions—and is ranked among the best in Canada. He placed second in the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival’s shucking competition for the last two years and won the Raspberry Point International Oyster Shucking Championship in PEI last September.

Nagy’s path to the oyster bar wasn’t always smooth or conventional. He learned how to shuck watching YouTube videos, and his entrepreneurship stemmed from a difficult childhood, laced with drugs and several schools. “Cooking saved my life,” he said. He’s cleaned up his act since heading to culinary school. “I love the kitchen, I still love cooking, but I got tired of working at the back of the house.”

These days, Nagy prefers the front—interacting with people and putting on a show while at work. Being social and warm with clients—not just quietly shucking—is an important part of the Shuck Me brand, Nagy said. “We’re a catering company, oyster shucker, entertainer, philosopher and matchmaker.”

People less familiar with the tasty mollusk should know a few basics: use a spoon to make sure the meat is separated from the shell, then take the oyster and slide it down all at once. Etiquette dictates the shell be placed inside-down after being eaten.

And if you come up to Nagy’s oyster bar and admit you’ve never tasted one, get ready—he’s not going to let you go until you have!