where am I?
Serving Fresh Oysters
Answer
Dear Rhona
SERVING FRESH OYSTERS
I think oysters are at their best when eaten raw, served on the half shell. Only purchase really fresh specimens from a trusted fishmonger. Here is my easy method of opening them using an Aga:
"To easily open oysters, place on a grill rack in an Aga roasting tin, with 1/4 inch boiling water below. Place on the lowest set of runners in the roasting oven for 3-5 minutes. This will make them start to open and they will be a doddle to shuck."
The Little Book of Aga Tips 2
Use a sturdy 3 or 4 inch cook`s knife or indeed a special oyster-opening knife to carefully prise open the shell: hold the oyster cupped side downwards wrapped in several folds of thick material in your left hand (assuming, unlike me, you are right-handed), with the hinge end of the shell pointing towards you. Gently insert the tip of the knife horizontally into the hinge using a slight left-to-right wiggling action. Once it is in at least a 1/4 inch twist the handle to force the joint open; take great care - using the Aga tip above makes the whole thing so much easier so you avoid having to exert heavy pressure which could result in a blade slipping (hence the precaution of all that thick material). Wear a chain-mail glove if you are nervous, but they`re not cheap, to put it mildly! If in doubt, delegate to other half/family...
Discard the upper flattened cup and use the knife to gently "feel" under the oyster to free it from its muscle connection to the lower shell. Place on a serving plate or platter with a good bed of crushed or shaved ice. Well done - you professional, you!
Serve with generous lemon wedges, salt and pepper mills and offer a chilli sauce such as Tabasco to hand. Champagne, a dry white wine, or Guinness are traditional drinks to try.
If cook them you must, season well and anoint with a little double (thick) cream and place in "beds" made of crushed foil in a baking tray to prevent them wobbling and you losing the contents, especially the delicious pool of natural juices. Bake in a hot oven, middle of the Aga Roasting Oven, for 4-6 minutes until the cream is just starting to bubble. They can also be removed from the shell and wrapped in bacon and grilled on a grill rack right at the top of the Roasting Oven until the bacon is cooked and starting to brown, to make Angels on Horseback. If supplies are tight, extend (pad out in other words) using some good quality Agen prunes to wrap in bacon and make into sister Devils on Horseback.
Other options include steaming (with rather disappointing results I always feel - such a waste - but popular nevertheless in certain recipes for adding to fragrant Eastern broths etc.) or dipping into a light batter, a barely-incorporated tempura would be my personal choice, and then fry in very hot groundnut oil and serve with the lightest dusting of cayenne pepper.
If you have a superfluity of oysters, take a leaf out of the Victorians` book and make a delicious steak and oyster pie or pudding. Use your favourite S&K recipe and substitute the oysters for the kidney. Just as a recipe for stuffing a small chicken with 40 cloves of garlic comes around periodically, there was a similar Edwardian favourite where both cavities were stuffed to bursting with oysters and plenty of butter seasoned with mace. Finish the sauce with cream thickened near the end with your favourite liaison.
Best Wishes
Richard Maggs
THE AGA COOKERY DOCTOR
Related articles
-
Question Richard Can you tell me what Lamb Henry is please? <br>Thank you<br>Michael Smith Answer Dear Michael LAMB HENRY Lamb Henry is a delicious casserole. It is important to include the pieces of bone
-
Question Richard I am looking for a recipe to make ice milk - a substitute for ice cream. Thank you Sharl Answer Dear Sharl ICE MILK Some of the very earliest attempts at making ice cream in Italy (Harvest of the Cold Months,
-
Hashed Brown Potatoes and Eggs
Question Dear Richard, I would like to know the best way to fry hashbrowns on a griddle and also the best way to cook eggs. Kim Answer Dear Kim HASHED BROWN POTATOES AND EGGS This is my way of making hashed brown potatoes,
-
Question Dear Richard, How do I cook raspberry/strawberry jam on my 2 oven aga? Previously I made jam on a gas hob using a big old-fashioned jam pan. Kind regards Helen Statham Answer Dear Helen JAM MAKING ON THE AGA The
-
Oven Thermometer for Aga Oven Use
Question Dear Richard, Please could you recommend an accurate and durable oven thermometer that can be used in an Aga`s hot oven. And where it can be purchased from. Many thanks, Charlotte Answer Dear Charlotte OVEN THERMOMETER
Question
Dear Richard, How do I cook oysters? Thank you, Rhona