In my very humble opinion, it is very hard to beat a plate of fresh plump oysters straight off the shell with a glass of crisp white wine. And as I’ve said elsewhere, Al Brown appears to agree with me about oysters in their natural state:
“I do love them … with just a grind of fresh black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice; however, they are often served with various vinegars that work equally well.”
The following is a recipe by Matt Moran we’ve adapted slightly. It appeared in the Good Food Section of the Sydney Morning Herald a number of years ago and caught my eye because he uses the fabulous Forum chardonnay vinegar, our favourite. This vinegar is from northern Spain. It is fruity, mellow, and rich with an appealing ‘agridulce’ character – a sweet yet sharp flavour.
A good vinegar balances the rich, creamy texture of the oyster. It also adds an extra layer of fruity flavour and tang. Shallots, or in this case, chives, add a savoury component.
This is how we will eat our Christmas oysters (the ones that aren’t gobbled up on Christmas Eve).
Christmas oysters with chardonnay dressing
Ingredients
- 2 dozen Mahurangi oysters freshly shucked
- 1 bunch chives finely chopped
- 2 lemons cut in half
- 225 ml chardonnay
- 50 g castor sugar
- 150 ml Forum chardonnay vinegar
- 12 golden shallots finely diced
Instructions
- For the chardonnay dressing, place the chardonnay and sugar in a small saucepan, then bring to the boil. If you feel brave you can flambe the liquid in the saucepan – set it alight to burn off the alcohol and wait until the flame goes out. This is recommended in the original recipe but, full disclosure, I didn’t.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Add the chardonnay vinegar and shallots to the cooled liquid, then leave to marinate for three to four hours.
- To serve oysters, place a bed of ice. Spoon a teaspoon of the dressing over each oyster, then top each with finely chopped chives.
Notes
The oyster of choice
Thanks to our careful husbandry and intelligent market selection, our plump Pacific oysters have become the oyster of choice in the Auckland restaurant scene and are exported in large numbers to Pacific Rim countries.
Feel free to contact us directly should you want more information. As a family business, we are very proud of what we produce and sell – and we only sell the best.
