Rosé Tempura Oyster With Strawberry Mignonette

Difficulty:

1/5

Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 15-20 minutes
Yield: 6 portions, as a small appetizer

Nothing says romance quite like oysters, and this crispy, crunchy take on them is sure to allure! Briny oysters are fried in a shatteringly thin tempura batter, before being playfully served on their shells with a sweet-tart strawberry and champagne vinegar mignonette.

Ingredients:

Strawberry Mignonette:

1 cup (240 ml) brunoised strawberries
2 small shallots, minced
1/3 cup (80 ml) champagne vinegar
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
2 teaspoons (10 ml) whole pink peppercorns

Tempura Oysters:

18 oysters, medium size
1 egg
¾ cup (180 g) flour
¼ cup (60 ml) cornstarch, plus extra for dusting
1 ½ cup (355 ml) rosé champagne, cold
Ice cubes
Oil, for frying
Rock salt
Chives, chopped, to garnish

Method:

For the Strawberry Mignonette:

Stem the strawberries and chop neatly into brunoises, which are small cubes, about 1/8-inch (3 mm) per side.

Peel and cut the shallot into matching brunoises and, in a bowl, combine with the strawberries.

Cover the chopped strawberries and shallots with the champagne vinegar and water, then coarsely grind the pink peppercorns into the mignonette.

For the Tempura Oysters:

Shuck the oysters and reserve the bottom shells and oysters separately. If not using right away, clean the shells well or keep refrigerated.

Place the egg in a medium mixing bowl and whisk lightly. Add the flour, cornstarch, champagne, and ice cubes, and whisk gently until almost smooth. Do not overwork the batter.

Strain the liquid out of the oysters. When the oil is hot, lightly dust each oyster in cornstarch, then coat in batter and carefully place into the oil, in batches of no more than six.

Cook for around 20 seconds until crisp and golden. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel-lined plate. Continue frying, working quickly, but allowing the oil to return to temperature in between batches.

To Serve:

While the oysters are cooking, place enough rock salt onto a serving platter to balance the reserved bottom shells of the oysters, then lay the shells over, taking care to keep them level for a neat presentation.

Divide the Strawberry Mignonette into the shells, top with the Tempura Oysters, garnish with chives, and serve immediately.