The flex plate. Freshly shucked oysters, a bare half-spoon of gold leaf chilli crunch, lemon. Heat, crunch and actual gold, for when you want your guests to ask questions.
10 minutes. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 12 fresh oysters
- 2 tsp Plateit 24k Gold Leaf Chilli Crunch
- Lemon wedges to serve
- Crushed ice for the plate
Method
- Sit the shucked oysters on crushed ice.
- Spoon a tiny amount of gold leaf crunch onto each.
- Lemon alongside.
- Serve immediately, cold.
Tip: A little goes a long way. This is a garnish, not a topping. Let the oyster lead.
Getting the oysters right
Buy them shucked to order if you can and eat them the same day. If you are opening them yourself, keep the cupped shell down so they hold their liquor, and do not rinse it away. That liquor is most of the flavour and people pour it down the sink without thinking.
Cold matters more than anything else here. Ice under the shells, not around them, or the oysters slide and lose their liquor before they reach the table.
Working with gold leaf
Gold leaf has no taste. It is there for the look, and it behaves like tissue paper, so work somewhere without a draught and lift it with the back of a spoon rather than your fingers. Warm hands are the enemy.
Contains sesame. Serve with something dry and cold. A muscadet, a chablis, or a plain lager if you would rather not think about it.
