A shellfish guy

A dozen shucked oysters, (okay 16), the liquor being caught

below the strainer, chopped jalapeno, basil chiffonade,

shiitake mushrooms, butter, salt, pepper, dry vermouth,

and heavy cream.  Alright, it's not everyday food, I admit.

But I've been eating chicken with salad for the past week.

Now listen up:

Medium heat in saute pan, add whole butter, then saute 

mushrooms and jalapenos.  When tender, turn up heat,

deglaze with vermouth, reduce, add reserved oyster liquor

minus any shell fragments in bowl, reduce again, cut heat

and add shlunk of heavy cream.  When it's reduced by half, 

add oysters and gently stir until the edges of the oysters

start to curl and they feel firm to the touch (2 minutes max).

Remove from heat.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

   Spoon oysters and shiitakes onto plate and then coat

 with generous amounts of the nectar that you have

 just created.  Garnish with basil chiffonade (julienne). 

If you look closely, you may see a little crab on the plate.

He and another had recently been eaten by two of

the oysters.  Still alive when the shells were pried open,

they were gently poached along with their

unshelled captors.  Soft bodies and bursting with flavor.

Amazing.  Better than finding  pearls.

A Padron 4000 from A Little Taste of Cuba.  I like a

full diameter snip on the cigar to ensure a full and even draw.

My wife enjoys a few drags but prefers to wipe the wet end

off with a napkin.  I tend to goob it up a bit.