Loch Creran oysters, strawberry and green chilli
- medium
- 10-12
- 60 minutes plus overnight macerating and draining time
On the west coast of Scotland, Pam Brunton sources oysters from Loch Creran for her restaurant Inver on the banks of neighbouring Loch Fyne. She presents these simply, distilling the pure flavour of green strawberries and green chillies in a tomato water dressing and a green chilli oil. The result? Herbaceous, spicy, floral, fresh and briny.
Pam says: "Green strawberries are the unripe berries, full of strawberry aroma but little sweetness, which is why they work in savoury contexts. But they don’t want to be too unripe – meaning still very firm and green – otherwise the texture is unpleasant and the flavour isn’t quite there. If your knife seems to squeak as you cut them, they’re not ripe enough yet – leave them out at room temperature for a day or so. They should be white-ish in colour, with a bit of give when you squeeze them gently, perhaps with the faintest blush of pink just starting on one cheek."
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 20 oysters
- green strawberries, cut into 2mm dice (see Pam's note above)
- elderflower vinegar, or lemon juice, to dress
- damp salt, to serve (optional)
‘GAZPACHO’ DRESSING
- 125g of tomatoes, ideally yellow and/or green (Pam uses Ananas or Green Tiger varieties), chopped
- 125g of green strawberries, chopped (see Pam's note)
- 25g of red onion, chopped
- 50g of celery, chopped
- 15g of fresh horseradish, finely grated
- 50g of sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp fermented chilli sauce, or 1/2 a chopped chilli
- 3g of salt
- 3g of anchovy essence, or mackerel garum (optional)
GREEN CHILLI OIL
- 50g of dried green chillies
- 2.5g of green Sichuan peppercorns, (optional)
- 250ml of neutral oil, ideally sunflower
Equipment
- Thermomix
- Squeezy bottle
- Vacuum bag and machine
- Oyster knife
Method
For the dressing, place all of the ingredients in a container and leave to macerate overnight in the fridge
- 125g of tomatoes, ideally yellow and/or green (Pam uses Ananas or Green Tiger varieties), chopped
- 125g of green strawberries, chopped (see Pam's note)
- 25g of red onion, chopped
- 50g of celery, chopped
- 15g of fresh horseradish, finely grated
- 50g of sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp fermented chilli sauce, or 1/2 a chopped chilli
- 3g of salt
- 3g of anchovy essence, or mackerel garum (optional)
The next day, strain the dressing ingredients through a sieve lined with a damp muslin cloth or tea towel and allow it to hang in the fridge for a few hours so the liquid drips through clear (you can use the veg pulp as a base for soup or a pasta sauce). Chill well in the fridge
For the green chilli oil, put the dried chillies and peppercorns, if using, into a Thermomix. Set the heat to high and add the oil and blitz on high for 2 minutes, then, crucially, allow the oil to settle for a few minutes before removing
- 50g of dried green chillies
- 2.5g of green Sichuan peppercorns, (optional)
- 250ml of neutral oil, ideally sunflower
If you don't have a Thermomix, you can just add the chillies, peppercorns and oil to a regular blender and blitz on high for 3-5 minutes – it might not be quite as flavourful, however
Once the oil is cooled slightly, decant it into a heatproof bowl or deep tray and allow to cool completely. Strain through a sieve lined with a muslin cloth and save the oil in a squeezy bottle until needed
To make the garnish, dress the diced strawberries with a few drops of elderflower vinegar or lemon juice. If you have a vacuum packing machine, you can ‘compress’ them to burst their cell walls and allow them to absorb the pickle quickly
- green strawberries, cut into 2mm dice (see Pam's note above)
- elderflower vinegar, or lemon juice, to dress
Open the oysters – loosen them from the shell by severing the adductor muscle. Remove any bits of shell or dirt
- 20 oysters
To serve, secure the oysters on the edge of serving plates, either on their upside down top shells or on little piles of damp salt. Spoon on the diced strawberries, the dressing, and a few drops of the chilli oil
- damp salt, to serve (optional)
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