829 Southdrive

829 Southdrive

A New Jersey state of mind



Monday, May 31, 2010

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.

7 comments:

  1. "O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
    "You've had a pleasant run!
    Shall we be trotting home again?'
    But answer came there none--
    And this was scarcely odd, because
    They'd eaten every one.

    Looks great. Thanks for the recipe. I'll give it a try perhaps substituting coconut milk for the heavy cream (is that from heavy cows?).

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  2. Ah... the unbearable tastiness of palate. Nevertheless, even as you gourmets speak of dining, I talk only of feeding.

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  3. Okay, Baydog. Here's where you can address burning question. Go ahead and ask it.

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  4. Spill the beans if you will, Doc Habanero.

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  5. OMG. When are you having the boatoblogosphere over for dinner, again?

    I won't deprive you & Mrs. B of any of the stogie but that dish has me drooling on my keyboard. IT really hates that, btw!

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  6. Baydog, Ol' friend...! Just re-read carefully.... It was a straight line. My subtlety you're certainly up to. It must be a problem of geography or culture. If the former, it just exemplifies my meaning in my original statement.

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  7. I've been wanting to use this recipe since you published it last May. I think it may happen this weekend. Will the world end if I use dry white wine instead of vermouth (and also not smoke a stogie)???

    steve

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