Raw Bar Tips

How To Build Your Own Raw Bar

Think “raw bar” and you’re immediately transported to a relaxed, al fresco dinner by the beach, where the air is full of salt and the chilled seafood is a light and refreshing counterpart to the warm weather. Longing for this fresh and breezy style of eating but not in the province of an ocean-side eatery?

"Building your own raw bar and wowing your summer guests is as easy as buying best-quality seafood and serving it with your own stylish flair."

THE PERFECT CATCH
When you shop at Citarella, you can be sure you’re receiving the very best seafood. In our more-than-one-hundred-year history, we’ve built longstanding relationships with our fishermen — so we have privileged access to the day’s freshest catch. Then, our fishmongers handle every selection with the gentleness it deserves, checking for tightly closed shells and the pleasing aroma of a fresh, ocean breeze.

Oysters
When most people think of a raw bar, they immediately envision tantalizing rows of sweet-and-briny oysters on the half shell. One of our favorite oysters to serve in the summertime is the Wellfleet oyster from the coast of Massachusetts; they’re marked by a distinctively long shell and a sweet, creamy flavor. Fishers Island oysters are fantastic as well with their savory appeal and well-balanced, silky, sweet finish.

Clams
Clams are the unsung hero of a great raw bar. Serve them just like oysters: raw and on the half-shell. Little Necks are the clam of choice, the sweetest and most tender of the hard-shell clams — made even more delicious by their delicate hint of fresh sea flavor.

Stone Crab Claws
As delicious as they are beautiful (with their bright orange and black shells), sweet and meaty stone crab claws are wonderful on any raw bar (even if they are served steamed!) Crack them ahead of time and keep them cold or let our skilled fishmongers crack them for you in-store; when your guests arrive, they can enjoy them without having to break the shells themselves.

Lobster
A well-rounded raw bar includes whole lobsters or lobster tails as well. Naturally sweet and sumptuously tender, steamed lobster served nestled in its shell with lemon and drawn butter instantly elevates any spread of fresh seafood. We work directly with our trusted fishermen to get first pick of these succulent shellfish — and we sell them raw or steamed, cracked, and split, ready to serve at your event.

Shrimp
Shrimp are the ultimate party food: easy to eat and delicious on their own or dipped in tangy cocktail sauce. They’re an elegant finger food that guests gravitate toward: a raw bar must-have.

THE PERFECT PLAN
How do you determine the quantity of seafood that you’ll need for your raw bar? As a general rule, you want to provide 6-8 pieces of seafood per person for a raw bar lasting 1½-2 hours, slightly fewer pieces if the raw bar will be followed by a meal. You’ll probably want to adjust the quantities further if you’re planning to include larger items (like crab claws or lobster tails) on your raw bar.

For this reason, we highly recommend consulting an expert; our dedicated Customer Care Specialists can provide personalized advice based on the exact details of your event and help you place a special order so that your items are gathered and waiting for you the morning of your event — or delivered directly to your door.

Do It Yourself
If you’re planning to prepare the seafood yourself we recommend placing a special order. Our team of experts will carefully gather each of the items that you need, including your selections from our wide variety of house-prepared accompaniments (such as our zesty cocktail sauce for shrimp) and other necessities like butter and fresh lemons. Then, we’ll work around your schedule to arrange in-store pick-up or home delivery.

If you choose to prepare your own raw bar items, you’ll need to start the day before your event. Steam raw lobsters and place them in your refrigerator to chill; they should be cracked along with any crab claws you’ve purchased, the day of your event. Clean and devein raw shrimp, leaving the tails on, steam them, and then place them in your refrigerator until your event. Refrigerate unshucked oysters and clams as well — they should be opened as close to the start of your event as possible.

"If you want to impress your guests, shuck your oysters and clams á la minute: either as they arive or to-order."

For oysters, simply find the cupped side of the shell and lay the oyster cup-side down on the table. Insert the tip of the knife into the pointed end of the oyster, between the two shells and push down on the knife until the shells pop open. Run the knife along the edge of the shell to cut through the muscle and remove the meat. Discard the top shell and separate the oyster from the bottom shell using your knife to cut the other side of the muscle.

Similarly, shuck fresh clams by finding the spot on the clam where the shell curves inward. Hold the clam in your hand with the inward curve exposed and insert the tip of the knife there, between the two shells. Twist the knife and then run it along the top edge of the shell to cut the muscle and remove the meat. Remove the top shell and separate the clam from the bottom shell using your knife, just as you did for the oysters.

Let our experts help!
The key to a successful raw bar is making sure your seafood is fresh, delicious, and wonderfully effortless to enjoy — and that includes your ease of preparation. That means, you don’t have to steam your own seafood and shuck your own oysters and clams to host a fantastic event. When you place your special seafood order, simply let us know which items you would like our fishmongers to prepare for you.

"We are happy to crack stone crab claws, crack and split cooked lobster or lobster tails, and steam cleaned shrimp for your event."

We’ll handle your fresh oysters and clams with extreme care as well. Each one will be shucked by skilled hands. Then we’ll carefully pack the delicate meat, shells, and juices into separate containers — so that all you need to do the day of your event is reassemble.

Regardless of whether you choose to prepare your seafood items yourself or have our team of fishmongers assist, you’ll have the opportunity to add your special touch to your raw bar when you set up the fresh seafood display.

Get creative
Lay your oysters in neat circles with clams and lemon wedges nestled between, on ice. Arrange crab claws, lobster, and shrimp over ice in a separate tray alongside. Or, stack ice and seafood into tower displays, to beautifully showcase the bounty and variety of your raw bar, placing accompaniments near their corresponding seafood items or in a circle around the tower and adding lemons to brighten your display. You can also fill wide shallow pans (such as paella pans) with ice, arrange your seafood on top, and position the pans on a table to create a beautiful mosaic of fresh seafood. Whatever you choose, remember to finish your display with an empty dish for collecting shells and shrimp tails.

The perfect raw bar is a symphony of flavors (salty, sweet, and just a little bit bright) and one that is perfectly suited to your individual needs and taste. This summer, let us help you build a raw bar to remember — and then savor every moment of this delicious season with you family, friends, and special guests!