Oysters with Asian dressing

Large raw oysters are served with a fresh dressing of lime, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil. Cucumber, spring onion and red chilli add freshness, texture and a mild heat. Use the dressing sparingly so that the oysters retain their natural flavour.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the oysters

• 4 large live oysters, size 1
• crushed ice, for serving

For the Asian dressing

• 10 ml light soy sauce
• 10 ml fresh lime juice
• 5 ml unsweetened rice vinegar
• 2 g fresh ginger
• 2 g honey
• a few drops of toasted sesame oil
• ¼ red chilli pepper

For the garnish

• 20 g cucumber
• ½ spring onion
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Other equipment

• oyster knife
• sturdy tea towel or oyster glove
• fine grater
• small bowl
• four small plates or one large serving platter

Preparation

1. Check the oysters
   Check the oysters. Use only oysters with closed, undamaged shells. Tap an oyster that is slightly open; use it only if the shell closes.
2. Keep the oysters chilled
   Keep the oysters refrigerated until you are ready to open them.
3. Clean the shells
   Rinse the outside of the shells briefly under cold running water and brush any dirt from them. Do not leave the oysters soaking in fresh water.
4. Grate the ginger
   Peel the ginger and grate it very finely.
5. Slice the chilli pepper
   Remove the seeds and membranes from the chilli pepper and slice the flesh extremely finely.
6. Dice the cucumber
   Remove the soft, seedy centre from the cucumber. Cut the firm flesh into cubes of approximately 3 millimetres.
7. Slice the spring onion
   Slice the spring onion into wafer-thin rings.

Method

1. Mix the dressing
   Mix the soy sauce with the lime juice, rice vinegar, grated ginger, honey and a few drops of sesame oil.
2. Season the dressing
   Add the finely sliced chilli pepper. Taste the dressing. Add a few drops of lime juice or a small amount of honey if necessary. The dressing should be fresh and mildly spicy, but not too salty or too sweet.
3. Distribute the ice
   Divide the crushed ice between four small plates or spread it over one large serving platter.
4. Open the oysters
   Carefully open the oysters with an oyster knife. Keep the deep shell as horizontal as possible while opening so that the natural oyster liquor is retained.
5. Release the oysters
   Cut through the adductor muscle underneath. Remove any pieces of shell with the tip of a clean knife. Do not rinse the oyster.
6. Check the quality
   Check the smell and appearance. Discard any oyster that smells unpleasant or looks unusual.
7. Place the oysters on the ice
   Place each oyster in its deep shell on the crushed ice.
8. Add the dressing
   Spoon approximately one teaspoon of dressing over each oyster. Use no more than necessary to season the oyster lightly.
9. Garnish the oysters
   Garnish with a few cubes of cucumber, a few rings of spring onion and a small amount of toasted sesame seeds.
10. Serve immediately
    Serve the oysters immediately after dressing them. The lime juice will alter the texture of the oysters if they are left to stand for too long.