There is no better time to slurp up some oysters than now. As temperatures start to cool down, the oysters begin to hibernate which slows their metabolism and this creates a more balanced, less salty flavoured oyster.
Executive chef Wayne Sych from Vancouver’s award-winning oyster bar and seafood restaurant, Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House says when purchasing oysters freshness is key.
The shells should be tightly closed and deep cups,” says Sych. “There should be no foul odours, they should smell like sea water.
Once that’s covered, now comes the real conundrum: Which oyster do you order from all the choices available once you’re in the restaurant? Synch recommends Kusshi, Malpeque and Satori.
Here is a brief description of each with a classic recipe for Oysters Rockefeller, to help get you in the mood for everything oyster.
Kusshi: A West Coast favorite, the perfect ‘starter’ oyster for beginners, Kusshi’s are small with a fresh salty then sweet buttery flavour. They are grown in floating trays which tumble with the tide or tumbled in a machine, resulting in deep, thick purple-black shells.
Malpeque: From Prince Edward Island, these are a bit larger than kusshi’s and Satori’s. They are the perfect balance of sweetness and briny. They have a crisp clean flavor.
Satori: From the West Coast, these oysters are machine tumbled, giving them a deep cup, which makes for plenty of meat which is why chefs love them. Satori oysters have a mild, briny flavour with a hint of melon.
Oysters Rockefeller
Recipe courtesy of Joe Fortes and executive chef Wayne Sych.
- 16 large size fresh oysters
- 30 ml butter
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 300 ml fennel bulb, cleaned and chopped
- 2.5 ml fresh thyme leaves
- 15 ml fresh parsley, chopped
- 180 ml leeks, white part only chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1000 ml fresh spinach leaves, lightly packed
- 30 ml Pernod
- 2-3 drops Tabasco sauce
- 2.5 ml salt
- 1.25 ml fresh ground pepper
- 160 ml grated Grana Padano Parmesan cheese for baking
- Paprika for garnish
Directions:
Over medium heat melt the butter. Add the celery, fennel, leeks, parsley, thyme and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are soft about 4-5 minutes, being careful not to brown them. Add the spinach, Pernod, salt and pepper toss until the spinach is wilted 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the Tabasco. While the mixture is still warm puree in a food processor until smooth. This can be prepared a day ahead, store in refrigerator.
Shuck the fresh oysters and gently remove the meat. Save the bottom shells and wash thoroughly removing any excess oyster meat. If the shells are in poor shape to use as the base to bake with then use oven proof ramekins.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Plunge the oyster meat into the water and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove oyster meat from pot with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent towels. Do not place in ice water. This can be done a day ahead. It is important to pre-poach the oysters otherwise the finished recipe will be runny.
To Assemble the Rockefellers
Preheat oven to 375F. On the bottom of each oyster shell or ramekin place about a tablespoon of the vegetable mixture, place a pre-poached oyster on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes until hot. Remove from oven, spoon Hollandaise sauce over each one (recipe follows), sprinkle with paprika, serve immediately. A trick to keep the oysters from rocking around on the plate is to pour coarse salt on the plate and sit the baked oysters on top of the salt. Makes 4 large appetizer portions
Hollandaise Sauce
- 8 large egg yolks
- 250 ml clarified butter
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml white wine
- pinch cayenne
- 2-3 drop Tabasco sauce
- 1-2 drops Worcestershire sauce
- salt to taste
To clarify the butter start off with about ¾ lbs. of butter. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, skim off any solids that float to the top. With a ladle carefully remove the butter leaving any of the milk solids on the bottom of the pot. It is important that you end up with 250 ml of clarified butter. Set aside and keep warm.
Place egg yolks, cayenne, lemon juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and white wine in a stainless steel bowl. Place egg yolk mixture over a pot of low simmering water. Whisk constantly until egg yolks thicken and are at the ribbon stage. Remove egg yolks from the double boiler and slowly pour in melted butter until incorporated. Season with salt, if Hollandaise is thick add a few drops of warm water. It is important to whisk the egg yolks constantly and to add the warm butter slowly as it will separate the sauce. Serve immediately, sauce cannot be saved and reheated. Makes about 275 ml.
