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James Street Cookery School: Oysters three ways in preparation for St Patrick's Day

Oysters three ways – Classic, Asian and Rockefeller
Oysters three ways – Classic, Asian and Rockefeller Oysters three ways – Classic, Asian and Rockefeller

THIS week will see us start a little bit of preparation for next weekend and St Patrick’s Day.

Oysters and Guinness are a staple for many bars and restaurants as a celebration of all things Irish and this week I would suggest you go out and buy a half dozen oysters to try them for yourself. If all goes well, you can get a couple of dozen more for St Patrick’s weekend and invite your friends around to celebrate with you.

The drink of choice for this recipe is a nice crisp white wine or, as I said, a good Guinness. Next weekend we will have a few special dishes on the go in our Belfast restaurants for the bank holiday with, of course, some fresh oysters on the menu. And to help keep everyone safe, we have this step-by-step guide below on how to shuck an oyster. Enjoy!

HOW TO SHUCK AN OYSTER

Keep oysters in fridge covered in a damp tea towel. When ready to serve, scrub all the dirt from the oyster shell – it is best to do this under running cold water.

Hold the oyster level in a clean tea towel, insert a shucking knife through the hinge (the tapered end of the oyster) and twist the knife until the shell pops open. Run the knife around the inside of the top shell to release the oyster and remove the top shell.

I always like to serve oysters in the shell so keep the top and the bottom for serving.

CLASSIC OYSTERS

2 shallots

4 tablesp red wine vinegar

fresh ground black pepper

24 oysters

1 lemon, juiced

Peel the shallots and finely dice. Add to a bowl with the vinegar and ground black pepper. Using a teaspoon, spoon the mix on to each oyster and serve.

ASIAN OYSTERS

2 shallots

1 inch piece ginger,

4 tablesp sweetened rice wine vinegar

½ teasp crushed pink peppercorns

24 oysters

Peel the ginger and finely slice – same with the shallots – and place in a bowl with the rice wine vinegar and the pink peppercorns. Using a teaspoon, spoon the mix on to the oysters and serve.

ROCKEFELLER

4 shallots, fine chopped

1 stick celery, fine chopped

1 sprig each of chervil, parsley, fine chopped

200g spinach, washed, dried and chopped

250g butter

handful breadcrumbs

dash of pastis

1 tablesp Worcestershire sauce

sea salt

black pepper

24 oysters

Fry off the shallots, celery, herbs and spinach in two tablesp of the butter on a gentle heat until softened. Place the mix in the food processor and add in the remaining butter, breadcrumbs, pastis and Worcestershire sauce and blend until smooth. Season with the salt and pepper to taste. Place the mix on top of the oysters and grill for three minutes until crisp and golden. Serve immediately.