Posted on by sadmin

Oysters

The best fresh oysters are like sex from the sea. It is akin to having coitus with a mermaid although given their anatomy it is unclear how this would be possible. Ever wondered how they procreate?

It can seem such a waste to tamper with oysters in any way yet some people feel on safer ground and less squeamish once they are cooked.

You still need to start with the freshest and best quality. To be certain you really want them still alive. To test this squeeze a drop of lemon on the body of one recently opened. It should move, tensing up. No movement, no life. Are you sure you still want to eat one though?

Shucking oysters
If you are delicately disposed you may want to wear a chain-mail glove on your hand throughout this process. It makes it more difficult to handle but at least you won’t get a deep scar across the tendon of your left thumb like a certain author.

Rinse under cold running water. Use a dishcloth to grip the oyster, flat side up, leaving the narrow, pointed bit exposed. Place the tip of a short, sharp knife into the hinge keeping blade flat and parallel to the shell. Slowly twist the knife to pry the shell open then work your way around the slit to detach the top from the bottom. Cut under the flesh of the oyster to detach it from the shell, reserving the precious brine inside.

Oyster Rockefeller Recipe

The exemplary hot oyster dish, a breakfast classic in the America South where it originated in New Orleans in 1889, is Oyster Rockefeller, named after John D. Rockefeller, the then-wealthiest man alive, because they are very rich and covered in a thick green sauce, the colour of money.

  • 24 oysters, shucked
  • 60 gm panko
  • 1 shallot & 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 50 ml dry white vermouth
  • a small bunch of parsley leaves
  • 50 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 30 gm Parmigiana, very finely grated
You could start with two dozen oysters but they will go in seconds, however many greedy guests or not. They are so very morish. Scale up the recipe if you need to. It’s very easy.
Some add spinach to the mix but it was not in the original recipe and can dilute the flavour. Avoid.
Sautée the shallot and garlic for a few minutes. Sautée the panko in 50 gm of butter. Chuck all but the panko in a processor and coarsely chop.
Set oyster shells on a thick layer of rock salt in a baking tray. Put an oyster in each then divide the mix over them and sprinkle with panko. Put in a pre-heated oven 220°C for about 5 minutes until brown. Serve promptly. They must be hot.