Out & About Spring 2018

FOOD & DRINK - SIMON RHODES

The world is your OYSTER

Oysters are a seafood delicacy, popular the world over. SIMON RHODES dispels the aphrodisiac myth, but says they are still good for you

A s spring approaches and our climate starts to pack away its winter overcoat and dig out the T-shirt in preparation for a long hot summer – who am I kidding? – my thoughts turn to a summer favourite – the oyster. This once popular food of Victorian Londoners, which was served outside pubs in wheelbarrows, is still much sought-after around the world. Did you know that worldwide around two billion oysters are eaten every year? In Whitstable, Kent, they get through around 30,000 alone just during the Oyster Festival. Oysters are a fantastic starter to any meal. They are light, easy to prepare, fun, and taste absolutely delicious fresh, as well as seasoned with a number of accompaniments. Oysters have been around for a long time and the first recording of the word ‘shuck’ was in 1881. The saying ‘the world’s your oyster’ comes from Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor : “The world’s mine oyster which I with sword will open.” It is a myth that they are an aphrodisiac, however they do contain rare amino acids that help with reproduction. The myth was also probably fuelled by the fact that the famous 18th-century Italian lover Casanova was very fond of them and it is believed that he ate about 50 oysters at the start of the day. The shells are also great for helping your garden flourish. The reason for this is

calcium and the oyster shell is full of it. This chemical can improve the soil’s pH balance, add nutrients to the plants and strengthen their cell walls, all of which leads to healthy produce and brighter flowers. So next time, think twice about throwing the shells away and use them as fertilizer instead. Each oyster filters about 30 to 50 gallons of water a day. Think of how much water a whole bed of those awesome bivalves are cleaning, which makes these not only tasty creatures, but also good-for-the-environment ones as well.

RECIPE If you wish to be a bit more adventurous give Oyster Rockefeller a go.

Before they are sold, oysters are harvested and purged in a clean lake or pond for several days and are then subjected to an UV light to kill off any bacteria. So when you eat a live oyster you can be assured that as long as they have been kept in proper conditions it will taste

Shucking is the process of removing the oyster meat from its shell through careful knife work

1 Place two rashers of chopped bacon in a large deep frying pan and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside. 2 Place 24 oysters in a large stockpot and pour in enough water to cover. Bring to the boil. 3 Remove from heat and drain; let cool. When cooled, break the top shell off of each oyster. 4 Using a food processor, chop the bacon, a handful of cooked spinach, five tablespoons breadcrumbs, three spring onions (chopped) and parsley, then add salt, a dash of tabasco sauce, a glug of olive oil and a teaspoon of Pernod and pulse until finely chopped but not puréed, about 10 seconds. 5 Arrange the oysters in their half shells on a pan with sea salt. Spoon some of the spinach mixture on each oyster and bake for 10 minutes until cooked through. 6 Then grill for a further two minutes until golden.

fresh, of the sea and clean. They are incredibly healthy for us, too, as they contain zinc and essential minerals, which means they are also good for your skin and immune system. There are many accompaniments to go with oysters, such as finely chopped ginger, soy sauce and wasabi, or tabasco and a squeeze of lemon or lime, or chilli and fresh coriander or red wine vinegar and finely chopped shallots, or why not try and experiment with different combinations. The flavours will explode

in your mouth and will give you something exciting to talk about. Happy shucking everyone.

Simon Rhodes owns: The Lobster Pot Fishmongers. Cobbs Farmshop, Bath Road, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0SP Telephone: 01488 686770

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