Poached Oysters with Pomegranate Sauce Vierge
Servings: 5 People
Ingredients
Pomegranate sauce vierge
- 35 g Granny Smith apple
- 100 g Muscat grapes
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 tbsp (10 g) goji berries
- 4 tbsp (20 ml) lime juice
- 65 ml pomegranate juice
- 12 ml pumpkin seed oil
- 12 ml olive oil
- 2 g fine salt
- 1 g ground black Sarawak pepper
Oysters
- 5 oysters preferably Fine de Claire
To serve
- 10 g spring onion thinly sliced
- Coarse sea salt
- Olive oil
- Persinette cress and red-veined sorrel leaves
Instructions
Preparing the Pomegranate Sauce Vierge
- Peel the apple, cut it into 2mm dice (brunoise) and place it in a large bowl.
- Peel the grapes, remove the seeds and cut each into eight pieces. Add to the apple.
- Peel the pomegranate, remove the seeds and add 75g to the apple and grapes.
- Add the remaining sauce vierge ingredients and stir to combine.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, as necessary.
- Cover and let marinate for at least two hours in the refrigerator.
Preparing the Oysters
- Preheat the oven to 100°C on the steam setting, if available.
- Place the oysters on a baking sheet and bake until their shells open (about 1 minute and 45 seconds) if you do not have a steam oven open them using an oyster knife (see chefs' notes below).
- As soon as the oysters are open, remove them from their shells and place in a saucepan with their liquor. Save the five rounded bottom shells, discarding the flat top shells.
- Warm the liquor to about 149°F (65°C) so the oysters poach. As soon as their edges begin to curl, remove the oysters from the heat.
- Let cool in their liquor, then chill until serving.
To Serve
- Wash the bottom oyster shells in hot water and dry them thoroughly.
- Stir the spring onion into the pomegranate sauce vierge and spoon a little into each shell.
- Drain the oysters and place in the sauce.
- Make a mound of coarse salt on each serving plate and nestle the oyster shells into it.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with cress and sorrel leaves.
Notes
To open oysters in the traditional way, wrap a dish towel over one hand for protection. Place an oyster, rounded shell down, on a board and press down firmly to hold the oyster in place. Using an oyster shucking knife, which has a short, thick, pointed blade that will not break under pressure, place the tip of the knife at the base of the 'hinge'. Twist the tip of the knife firmly to work it between the two shells, then lever the blade upwards or twist it to break open the 'hinge'. Slide the knife under the top shell to remove it and release the oyster.