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Oysters are something my wife and I often enjoy at home. They are easy, healthy, and feel special, especially with a few spices. My son Max is not quite there yet and will only drink the brine. But maybe it's nice to not have to share for now. I've included a few recipes for easy and delicious sauces to complement the natural flavors.
Ingredients
2-4 dozen oysters, chilled (most people will eat 1-2 dozen)
1 bag of crushed ice*
1/4 cup grated fresh horseradish root
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Big pinch of fleur de sel
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2 tsp honey vinegar (or quality vinegar of your choice, plus a pinch of sugar)
Water
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 Tbsp prepared horseradish
2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
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1/2 tsp Espelette pepper plus a 1/2 tsp of vinegar
or 1 tsp hot sauce of your choice
1 large shallot
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1/4 cup herbed cider vinegar
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1 tsp green peppercorns
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1 tsp kampot red peppercorns
Prepared Horseradish
Cocktail Sauce
Spiced Mignonette
Directions
Oyster Prep
Scrub all of the oysters to remove any surface mud or dirt. I like using a Japanese tawashi for this as it's very easy to use and to clean.
On a suitable surface spread out a bag of ice (I like to use two stacked half-sheet pans with a wire rack), stacking the pans helps prevent condensation on whatever you set them on. You can use any container you like provided there is somewhere for the melted ice to drain into.
Place the cleaned oysters on the ice with their curved sides facing down. You can comfortably fit about 2 dozen on a 1/2 sheet tray. If you're having more than 2 dozen oysters place the rest of the cleaned oysters in the refrigerator, or get another tray set up with another bag of ice.
Prepared Horseradish
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, taste and adjust seasoning and add water until you form a wet paste, set some aside for the cocktail sauce, then place the rest in the freezer to quickly chill. In a pinch, you can use a good brand of prepared horseradish instead.
Cocktail Sauce
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, taste and adjust seasoning, then place in the refrigerator.
Spiced Mignonette
Using a sharp knife peel and then finely mince the shallot. Add it to the vinegar. In a small skillet, toast the peppercorns over medium heat just until fragrant (about a minute), then roughly crush them with a spatula or back of a spoon and add to the vinegar. Mix well and let stand at room temperature.
To Serve
Open the oysters. There are many ways to do this but I prefer this method. I usually use a 4" Boston style knife, it's a pretty solid all-rounder and keeps your hand far enough away from the shell so you're less likely to scrape a knuckle. If you're accident prone, I recommend using a pot holder to hold the oyster down from above with a flat palm, this way none of your hand is in the blade path.
As you open each oyster just replace it on the bed of ice, being careful not to spill the juices.
Serve with cocktail sauce, mignonette, horseradish, and fresh lemon.
While all the condiments do go with everything, I find that the mignonette is particularly great for West Coast (where I'm from), Japanese, and most European oysters. The cocktail sauce shines with East Coast oysters.
To drink? Or course a great chardonnay-based champagne always works. The savory character of the wine and the oysters is a great match. Or try fino sherry or stout beer, both also packed with umami.
Recipe Note
Recipe Notes
* if you can only find cube ice just wrap the bag in a towel and whack it with a rolling pin or short broom handle until crushed.
Food images and recipe © Christian Leue.
Questions? Contact christian@laboiteny.com