Oystercatcher

In the summertime we participated in the Eat out to Help Out Scheme and found a seafood restaurant off of a remote main road located in some countryside that gave the restaurant the remote feel of an American Diner on the highway. At that restaurant they have a wonderful range of Seafood and especially Oysters. A link to their website to see for yourself is at: The Mussel and Crab Restaurant, Tuxford 

One of our resolutions this New Year has been to practise more self-care and focus on a good quality of life. One way of doing that has been to replicate recipes from our favourite restaurants that we cannot get to at present because of the lockdown. 

In the last minute shopping carnage of New Year's Eve, I located a pack of Oysters in the fish vendor and elbowed my way through the dilatory throngs to the till before making my escape. A few days later, after a strange adventure in the secret garden of an old mining village, we decided to make a meal with the Oysters. The ingredients are as follows:

Eight Oysters

For the dressing:

One Red Chilli, we used one that was freshly harvested from the chilli plant in my indoor Greenhouse. 

The juice from a Lemon.

On the player was a record that is considered one of the best in Jazz; Miles Davis' 1959 collaboration with Gil Evans "Porgy and Bess". With its images of fishing and seafood in the titles to some songs it was a handy accompaniment to the food preparation. Why not check it out this piece of history at: Porgy and Bess (Miles Davis) - YouTube 

The first trick was to open the Oysters. This is a challenge and one that requires caution to overcome. The best approach is to find a soft area in the edge of the shells, thrust a sharp knife in and twist it to open the shell. If that doesn't work use some pliers to crush the shells to access the Oysters.

The next step is to clean the Oyster flesh inside and remove any shell fragments. Then serve the Oysters on a plate in individual half shells. 

The Chilli Dressing is made by removing the top of the Chilli and slicing it into small pieces. Add the Chilli pieces to a small serving bowl with the Lemon Juice.

The best way to consume the Oysters is to treat them as if you are drinking a shot of liquor. Add some relish to the shell containing the individual Oyster and then drink the Oyster and relish from the shell in one go. 

The sourness of the Lemon Juice coupled with the fire of the Red Chilli and rich moistness of the Oyster make this dish a wonderful luxury to start the New Year with.