New Orleans oyster shucker wants to be the world's greatest
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Jay Gallet shucks between 2,000 and 3,000 oysters a day for Superior Seafood. Photos courtesy of Superior Seafood
Jay Gallet is the fastest oyster shucker in New Orleans.
Why it matters: He hopes to be crowned the fastest in the world.
The intrigue: Gallet, who hails from Empire and works at Superior Seafood, will compete in the U.S. National Shucking Championship in St. Mary's County, Maryland, on Oct. 19 and 20.
- Whoever wins will go on to represent the US in Galway, Ireland, next year during the World Oyster Opening Championship.
Between the lines: Gallet won the U.S. title in 2022, so he knows exactly what he's up against.
- "I'm always feeling good," Gallet tells Axios New Orleans, "but it's just the oysters."
- The U.S. competition's bivalves are donated, Gallet says, which can create some inconsistencies in what he ends up palming during the big contest.
- Most of the time, he says, "they're nice oysters, similar to what I open up here, so I don't have any issue with them." But when they're not so good, "you kind of have to wing it."
So what makes a good shucking oyster? It should be teardrop shaped, Gallet says, with a flat top, cup-shaped bottom and a strong hinge.
- Plus, "the thicker the oyster, the more plump it is and the easier to keep it clean," Gallet says.
- For the at-home crowd, Gallet also recommends keeping your oyster on a firm surface. "The steadier it is, the easier it is to pop open," he advises.
By the numbers: When he's not competing on world stages, Gallet shucks between 2,000 and 3,000 oysters a day for Superior.
- That's helped him rev up to an eye-popping ability to shuck an oyster every five seconds.
How it works: At nationals, Gallet will have to shuck two dozen oysters as quickly as possible.
- In 2022, he won the title with an adjusted time of 2 minutes and 13.79 seconds.
- Judges got to that number by taking Gallet's actual shucking time — 1 minute and 46 seconds — and adding time for imperfections in his finished product.
- "An oyster has to be ... able to slide all the way out. If it doesn't, that tacks on 3 seconds," Gallet explains. "Have you poked the belly of the oyster? That's another 3 seconds. If you rip or tore an oyster, that's another 3 seconds."
The bottom line: "You're not winning nationals unless you shuck in 2 minutes or less," Gallet says.