Valentine's Day is gaining on us, and I'm trying to stay ahead of the voluptuous curve.
So today Cranky and I opened the bivalventines.
A little early, sure, but why delay the pleasure? I've been known to celebrate my birthday for an entire month; certainly I can worship Cupid for at least a week.
Therefore, a dozen Beausoleil oysters from Canada. Courtesy of my favorite butcher, Bryan. I have other butchers I adore, but Bryan is so all-purpose, even if he couldn't get me some pig ears. (I might have other sources.)
The special anointment, the fillip, the taste de resistance, was inspired by Ilva of Lucullian Delights. Ilva had made some blood orange-ginger jellies in the shape of hearts.
I thought: Why hasn't anyone ever served oysters with jellies? Maybe they have. But I like to believe I thought of this myself. Savory jellies with shucked raw oysters.
Go visit Ilva for her recipe. And then, keep in mind that for my version, I used no sugar, and added a pinch of salt and a sprinkling of cayenne.
Posts
15 comments:
What a delightful idea! Though I have to say the word "bivalventines" is simultaneously hilarious and just a little bit ... ew.
Still, I'm thrilled to see we both have oysters on the brain, though you trump that by having heart on the oysters.
Again. Ew.
Well, people *do* serve oysters with aspics. Only brilliant, creative, supertaster people, so you are in good company. ;-)
I know Derrick first got the idea from reading Rick Tramonto's Amuse-bouche book. He's made blood orange aspic for oysters before, but the ginger sounds like an excellent addition. And the heart shape is a great over the top touch.
The first time i was called on to make a savoury sorbet was for oysters. Cucumber. It is a fabulous idea!
How good of you to start early. for me I wish it was only advertised to those who like it.
Anything with ginger sounds wonderful to me.
Talk about the perfect Valentine's food porn!
Aw, shucks, Cookiecrumb -- you've inspired me in more ways than one:
http://blog.thisnext.com/blog/aw-shucks.html
In a story about his trip to Tokyo Giles Coren of the Guardian described the experience of eating one particular sashimi serving "like French kissing". let me say this is what your combination must feel like. Hmmmmm.
this is where I expose myself for the mac n cheese chowin, PBR swillin gal I am. I have tried oysters on several occasions...heck, I can shuck 'em at a pretty good clip... but they taste like the sea hacked a loogy to me.... Can I still read your blog?...
You're a flaming genius cc! I love oysters, I love jelly hearts and I love you! (can hardly put in any other way during your Cupid worshipping week, can I?)
Proof positive that you are gifted when it comes to words, for sure. It is not out of the realm of possibility that the less, how do we say discerning types might not think and simply call it Bloody jello n' clams. I am so thankful for your attention to such details as these. As a geologist, I'd like to say that bivalventines would be perfectly appropriate for a name. It indicates the provenance and habit of the creature with clarity. Now that is a name.
other sources.....did you talk to Ted?
Ander and I are headed to Hog Island Oysters in Marshall for Valentine's day...
Will bring our own "hogwash" to help down these beauties.
May need to refrain from "BBQ"ing them...shuckers ready in hand.
Great idea! Will have to try the cucumber as Shuna mentioned.
Tootles,
Anni :-)
Sean: And I have chocolate on my thighs. Not sayin' how it got there; that's between Cranky and me.
Melissa: D'oh! I obviously "absorbed" that idea from the book, because that's my bedside reading these days. Funny.
Shuna: I love that. I have some frozen cucumber juice; maybe I'll tinker.
Dagny: Well, what about ginger and cucumber? I like it!
Tammy: Wallow, wallow, wallow. Censor. Censor.
Sean: That's ultracool. Thanks, and everybody else -- go visit Sean's Parallel Universe.
Kudzu: Snicker! I'll refrain from telling you how these oysters were orally administered.
Stacie: I want you to keep coming back and saying funny stuff like that.
Ilva: Back at ya! XXX And thanks for the inspiration.
D-Man: Ix-nay on the swine ears for now. Got to get my courage collected. Heh. Gotta get some Heart, as they say.
Anni: Ah, yes. BBQ oysters. A West Marin specialty. And I love them so... But refrain!
Let me join the chorus...a super idea. I bet this one shows up on a few restaurant menus in the near future.
Greg: The recipe Melissa is referring to specifically calls for blood-orange juice and gelatine. So -- oh, boy, I was totally not original. And Tramonto's book is from 2002, so I'll bet this dish is already on some menus. Still... Great minds, eh?
"I have some frozen cucumber juice"?!
I am continually in awe of the contents of your freezer. Very impressive.
The heart too.
Post a Comment