Handling and Preparation Oysters
It is most difficult to define the taste of oysters-they are briny but there is a freshness in the taste that is startling, and makes them deservedly highly prized. The classic way of serving oysters is opened, raw on a bed of cracked ice, decorated with seaweed if you can obtain it, lemon juice and tabasco sauce too. Champagne is the obvious accompaniment, but ant dry white wine is good, as is Guinness.
Oysters can also be bought frozen in the half-shell, or as frozen meats, in frozen ready prepared dishes and smoked, in tins.
Oysters have a surprisingly distinctive flavour when cooked, and a few can be used to great effect in dishes such as omelettes, steak and kidney pies and fish chowder.
They are also used in such classic dishes as Angels on Horseback, and Oysters Mornay, but they have wider uses too, with garlic or herb butter, seafood salads, or even breaded to give a contrast of textures.
Handling Oysters
The oyster in its shell is a living animal and should be treated with care. Like any other fish or shellfish, it should be kept cool. Store with the deeper cup shell underneath in order to retain the precious oyster liquor, and cover with a damp cloth.
Oysters can be kept alive for a few days in a refrigerator operating at 5-8°C (40-45°F) but should not be taken in and out of the refrigerator. Discard any oysters that are gaping, and do not close when tapped.
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