Bluff oysters definitely deserve their status as one of the iconic tastes of New Zealand.
The season is well under way and that is good news for lovers of this southern delicacy.
After years cooking overseas and handling oysters over there, it is with pride that we open each box to add them to our specials board.
For me, the only way to buy oysters is ''in shell''.
This ensures each oyster is able to retain its own natural juices and is still alive until the moment it is shucked, ensuring its ultimate freshness.
You only have to see our customers' faces, when they are presented with really fresh oysters, to understand what all the fuss is about, that instant recognition of ''wow, those are amazing!''
More importantly, the biggest difference is in the simple act of eating one.
A freshly shucked oyster is a thing of real beauty, simply sublime.
That is an experience you just can't get from a pottle.
Bluff oysters are a magical product, so let's treat them that way.
Happy shucking!
• Bevan and Monique Smith own Riverstone Kitchen, runner-up Best Regional Restaurant in the 2014 Cuisine Good Food Awards. He is also author of Riverstone Kitchen: recipes from a chef's garden and Riverstone Kitchen Simple. Situated on SH1 in North Otago, just south of the Waitaki bridge, they are open Thursday-Monday from 9am-5pm, and also from 6pm Thursday to Sunday, but closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Bluff oysters with nam jim
Serves 4
Ingredients
¼ tsp sea salt flakes
¼ tsp chilli flakes
1 clove garlic
100g palm sugar
½ cup lime or lemon juice
1½ Tbsp fish sauce
2 dozen ''in shell'' Bluff oysters
Nasturtium leaves and flowers, optional
Method
Place salt and chilli into a mortar and grind until powder. Add garlic and grind until a smooth paste. Add palm sugar and grind or pound as finely as possible. Add the lime juice and muddle with the pestle until the last lumps have dissolved. Add the fish sauce, muddle to combine and set aside until ready to use. Nam jim will last for up to a week in the fridge. Shuck oysters and place on a large platter scattered with nasturtium leaves and flowers. Spoon a nam jim over the oysters and serve immediately.
Bluff oysters with red wine shallot vinegar
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 French shallots, peeled
⅔ cup good quality red wine vinegar
2-3 lemons, quartered, seeds removed
2 dozen ''in shell'' Bluff oysters
Method
With a very sharp knife dice the shallots as finely as possible. The finer the better. Place into a small dish and add the vinegar. Shuck oysters and arrange on a large platter or four plates. Serve the shallot vinegar on the side with the lemon quarters. Serve immediately. If there are no shallots available you can use small red onions but the flavour of the onion will be a bit stronger. Also the quality of the red wine vinegar is paramount. For this dish buy the best you can find. You will not regret it.
Bluff oysters with cucumber granita
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 telegraph cucumber
30ml good quality gin
2 pinches sea salt
1½ Tbsp lemon juice
2 dozen Bluff oysters ''in shell''
Method
Finely dice a third of the cucumber and place into a shallow, square baking dish. Juice (or liquidise until smooth) the remaining cucumber and add that to the diced cucumber along with the gin, salt and lemon juice. Stir to combine and freeze overnight. The following day use a fork to scrape the frozen cucumber mixture into fine icy crystals, taking care to break up any large frozen chunks. Return granita to the freezer.
Shuck the oysters and arrange them on a large platter or four plates. Spoon the granita over the oysters and serve immediately.
Deep-fried Bluff oysters with kohlrabi remoulade
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 litres canola or vegetable oil 150g plain flour
50ml olive oil
250ml warm water
2 egg whites
2 dozen Bluff oysters, shucked
1 head kohlrabi
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
½ cup flat leaf parsley
2 Tbsp baby capers or regular capers, finely chopped
2-3 lemons, quartered
Method
Place flour and olive oil into a medium bowl and mix with enough slightly warm water until the batter is the consistency of thick runny cream. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into the batter and set aside
Heat the oil in a large pot over a moderate heat until it reaches 160degC. Test temperature using a heatproof thermometer. Arrange the oyster shells on a platter. Make the remoulade by removing the skin from the kohlrabi with a sharp knife and slicing it into fine matchsticks. Toss the kohlrabi into a bowl with the mayonnaise, parsley and capers and mix to combine. Spoon a little of the remoulade mix on to each oyster shell.
Place oysters in the batter and cook for a minute or until lightly coloured on both sides before carefully removing with a slotted spoon and draining on an absorbent kitchen towel.
Place the cooked oysters on top of the remoulade and serve with the lemon wedges immediately.
Tip: If you place the top shell down first they will stand the oysters up straight without the need for ice or rock salt, and thus they do not lose any of their juices.
