Grilled oysters with salsify & ham

Grilled oysters with salsify & ham

Winter

There’s so much more to the beautiful oyster than a brief sensual swallow. A cooked oyster, whether it’s crisply fried, gently poached or cooked slowly in a pie, can be just as exciting. One of my favourite ways to eat oysters is grilled, fiercely, in a small sea of bubbling butter, crushed garlic, parsley and breadcrumb. If you’re not a fan of oysters in the raw, please try them this way. Here, I’m taking that idea and building on it, adding two other ingredients I really love. Salsify, known as ‘the oyster plant’ (it tastes nothing like oysters, but seems fitting), is a slender, delicately flavoured root, with a gorgeous creamy texture and a distinct nuttiness, and pairs with the oysters incredibly well. The other ingredient is ham: slices of tender salty air-dried ham tie the dish together in the same way copper rivets tie the hull of a ship or the ocean ties one piece of land to the next.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 8–10 live oysters
  • 6 salsify, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 40g (1½oz) butter
  • 1 rosemary sprig
  • pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled and grated
  • 1 small bunch of parsley
  • 25g (1oz) white breadcrumbs
  • about 100g (3½oz) thinly sliced air-dried ham
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

To shuck an oyster you’ll need an oyster knife (one with a sturdy, short blade) and a tea towel to protect your hand from the sharp shell. Hold the oyster firmly, cupped-side down in the tea towel on a chopping board, with the shell’s hinge facing towards you. Insert the knife tip downwards between the two halves of the shell at the pointed back end, at the hinge. Lever the shell open a little, then slip the knife along the underside of the top half of the shell, severing the oyster’s adductor muscle and fully opening the shell. Carefully slide the knife blade underneath the oyster to release it completely. Try to save any liquor in the shell. Shuck the oysters one by one, leaving them in the shell in their juices while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the salsify for 8–10 minutes, until tender, then drain. Cut the salsify into 10cm (4in) pieces and place in a shallow roasting tray. Trickle over the olive oil and dot over half the butter. Pour over the oyster juices, tear over the rosemary and season with the chilli flakes and some black pepper.

Warm the remaining butter in a small pan over a medium heat. When bubbling, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the parsley and breadcrumbs. Turn to coat, then remove from the heat.

Heat the grill to medium. Sit the oysters among the salsify, then top each one with some buttery breadcrumbs. Place the tray under the grill for 4–5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are crisp and golden. Tear the ham over the oysters and salsify and bring to the table.

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