Oyster Passion

The oyster has long been known as the ultimate sexy food; they are suggestive to look at and you feel a little wave of energy spread through your body when you swallow one. They are stocked full of minerals and vitamins, calcium, iron, iodine, potassium, copper and they are the most plentiful source of zinc going, with a portion of six raw or steamed oysters providing over five time your RDA (Recommended Daily Amount). Zinc is vital for sperm production and is scientifically known for lifting the libido in both men and women, the reason why the oyster is the most well known aphrodisiac there is. Legend says that the great Casanova himself used to consume 50 oysters per day to maintain his virility; it’s no coincidence then that Venus, the goddess of love, was reputedly borne from an oyster shell.

Oysters were a staple diet for Native Americans living in coastal regions; the Romans were so enlivened by the power of oysters that they used to export them all the way from England to Rome. In China, the traditional New Year’s meal consists of seafood and dumplings, signifying different good wishes; with treats including prawns for liveliness and happiness, and dried oysters (ho xi) for all things good.

In Ancient Britain people used to think of shellfish as a meagre food to survive on when desperate; it was only when the Romans arrived in 43AD that the food became recognised as a delicacy. Recipes that survive from this time show a dressing of pepper, lovage, egg yolk, vinegar, liquamen (a salty sauce made from fish), olive oil and wine, is ideal to be used as the perfect sauce for oysters. After the Romans were gone, oysters were rarely eaten in Britain as its status was reduced from that of a delicacy to nearly as far down as the subsistence food it once was. It wasn’t until the early eighth century that the oyster made a come-back; and by the 1400s the oyster was a well established foodstuff, cooked in its own juices with a drop of ale and a sprinkle of pepper. The smaller fresh oysters were eaten raw, and the larger ones were stewed with herbs and spices, roasted or baked in pies.

In the middle of the 19th century, natural oyster beds became exhausted, mainly due to over fishing and pollution. Only artificial breeding saved the species from extinction. Most oyster farming took place in the English Channel along the Sussex coast of England and on the other side of the channel along the coast of Brittany, France. There is also currently a concerted effort to repopulate the species in coastal waters around the US with programmes such as the ‘Oyster Gardening Program’, a cooperative effort of the Oyster Alliance, which includes the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the Oyster Recovery Partnership. The best oyster growing conditions are found in areas that afford protection from overly rough waters, yet still allow tidal currents to carry food to the oyster larvae.

2 OYSTER RECIPES

Champagne Oysters for two

½ a flute of Champagne 4 large oysters, opened, juiced and shells saved 100ml (3½fl oz) double cream 15g (½ oz) butter 1 medium egg, beaten 15g (½ oz) sevruga caviar

• 1. Bring the Champagne to the boil with any juices that come from the oyster and simmer until reduced to about a tablespoon. Add 80ml (2 ½ to 3 fluid ounces) of double cream and simmer until reduced by half and thickened. Remove from heat.
  
  
• 2. Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat with the rest of the double cream. Add the egg, season to taste, and stir until nicely scrambled.
  
  
• 3. Drop the oysters into the Champagne sauce, bring back to the boil then remove from heat.
  
  
• 4. Place the egg into the oyster shells, place an oyster on top of the egg, Spoon a little of the sauce onto the oyster and top with caviar.

Leek and Oyster Soup for four

3 medium leeks, roughly chopped and washed. A large knob of butter. 750ml (1 ¼ pint) fish stock, can be made with cube. 8 medium size oysters, opened with the juices put to one side. 2 tablespoons of double cream. 1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives.

• 1. Cook the leeks gently in a covered pan with the butter until soft, but now browned. Add the fish stock, bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper then simmer for 10 minutes.
  
  
• 2. Remove from heat then add 4 oysters, the cream and liquidize until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve then season again with salt and pepper to your own taste. Bring back to the boil then remove from heat and add the other oysters and the chives.
  
  
• 3. Serve in warm, shallow bowls, insuring that everyone gets an oyster.

Essential Reading:

Booty Food by Jacqui Malouf