Oyster (fowl)


Oysters are two small, round pieces of dark meat on the back of poultry near the thigh, in the hollow on the dorsal side of the ilium bone. Some regard the "oyster meat" to be the most flavorful and tender part of the bird, while others dislike the taste and texture.
Compared to dark meat found in other parts of the bird, the oyster meat has a somewhat firm/taut texture which gives it a distinct mouth feel. It is also customary for the cook to be given first preference to the oyster meat.
In French, this part of the bird is called sot-l'y-laisse which translates, roughly, to "the fool leaves it there", as unskilled carvers sometimes accidentally leave it on the skeleton. In French, the term has been democratized by its musicality for its variations around s and l,. Where sot comes from old French and more readily means someone who lacks cognitive skills.