Oysters with chilli, ginger & rice wine vinegar

Oysters with chilli, ginger & rice wine vinegar

Ingredients

•     ½ thumb-sized piece peeled ginger
•     6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
•     1 red chilli
•     a little fresh coriander
•     1 teaspoon sugar
•     oysters

Instructions

You can get your fishmonger to open the oysters for you or you can freshly shuck (open) them with a small knife or oyster-shucker, using a tea towel to hold them, eat them the day that you buy them and serve them on some ice cubes that you've bashed up in a tea towel.

Finely grate ½ a thumb-sized piece of peeled ginger and mix with 6 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 1 finely chopped and deseeded red chilli and a little finely sliced fresh coriander. Stir in a teaspoon of sugar until dissolved. Serve in a dish with the oysters.

Creamed Oysters in Acorn Squash Recipe

Creamed Oysters in Acorn Squash Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 medium acorn squash
• 1/4 cup butter, cut up
• 2 (12-ounce) containers fresh (live) oysters*
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
• 2 lean bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut squash in half crosswise around the middle. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each squash half; discard.

Place squash halves, cut side up, in a greased 15- x 10-inch baking pan; divide butter pieces evenly between each squash halve. Bake approximately 45 to 60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven.

While the squash is cooking, drain oysters, reserving half of liquid. Place oysters and reserved liquid in a large saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until oysters just begin to curl. Stir in cream of celery soup, and then spoon the oyster/soup mixture evenly into warm squash halves. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and minced parsley.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Deep-fried Oyster Po' Boy Sandwiches with Spicy Remoulade Sauce

Deep-fried Oyster Po' Boy Sandwiches with Spicy Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients

• 32 ounces shucked oysters
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal (recommended: Indian Head)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 (6-inch) hoagie loaves
• Remoulade Sauce, recipe follows
• 4 leaves romaine lettuce
• 1 to 2 lemons
• Special equipment: brown paper bag

Spicy Remoulade Sauce:

• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup stone-ground mustard
• 1 clove garlic clove, smashed
• 1 tablespoon pickle juice
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• Special equipment: a food processor

Directions

Drain the oysters and place in a small bowl. Cover with 1 cup milk and let soak for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining milk, water, cayenne and eggs. Place the flour, cornmeal, black pepper, and salt into a brown paper bag, close and shake to mix.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, pour enough oil to fill the pan halfway. Heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 360 degrees F.

Drain the oysters from the milk. In batches dip oysters in the egg mixture then drop in the paper bag. Close and shake. Remove to a plate and repeat with the rest of the oysters. When oil is at 360 degrees F, fry oysters in batches. Do not overcrowd. Cook turning once until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel. Repeat with remaining oysters.

To serve, cut sandwich loaves in half horizontally. Slather a generous amount of Spicy Remoulade Sauce on the inside. Place a lettuce leaf inside and fill generously with oysters. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over oysters just before serving.

Spicy Remoulade Sauce:
Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.