Netting the best: Know your oyster
THE foodstuff of kings, tsars, emperors and a long line of legendary lotharios, oysters enjoy near mythic status. The unlikely-looking bivalves are packed with all the minerals, omega-3 and vitamins we could possibly want, and have the added cachet of being expensive, of limited availability and wildly aphrodisiac. Talk about a superfood. Now the season's started in earnest, it's time to get shucking once again.
Native Oysters
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A rich man's delicacy in ancient Rome, the poor man's protein in Victorian London, the British Isles' native oysters have had a chequered history. Brought to near-extinction by overfishing in the 19th century, our indigenous oysters (also known as flat oysters and the Latin 'ostrea edulis') are back, protected by laws to restore their beds and gourmet status once again. It's common knowledge that they're not eaten from May to August when they're spawning, thin and 'milky' (note, no 'R' in the months) but aficionados don't touch them until October when they’ve plumped back up again. Christmas is a good time to buy. Recognised by their flat, round shell and firm flesh, natives are graded 1-3 (No.1 being the largest). They take five years to reach full size compared with rocks oysters' three, hence a stark price differential. Best enjoyed raw on the half shell with just a squeeze of lemon, purists consider the merest suggestion of Tabasco or shallot vinegar de trop. |
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| Colchester natives Prized by international gourmets ever since the Romans invaded, 'les Colchesters' (as the French call them) boast firm, creamy flesh with a keen salty flavour. Often flagged on menus as West Mersea Natives. Bélon Succulent French oysters with an AOC classification from the Bélon River in Brittany. These world-class 'huîtres' have sweet and salty notes with a metallic finish. Duchy of Cornwall natives Borough Market's Wright Bros have returned 'yesteryear oysterage', the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm to its rightful place as one of the UK’s great oyster producers. Notice the oysters' distinctive 'tinny' taste and tannic mouthfeel. |
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Rock Oysters
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So prized are native oysters, it's hard not to view rocks as somehow 'inferior'. This couldn't be further from the truth. Names like Brittany's Tsarskaya and the Pacific Northwest's tiny kumamoto oysters with their creamy, woody notes are favoured by star chefs. Certainly, given that they account for over 75 per cent of European oyster production, rock oysters, otherwise known as 'Pacific oysters' or 'crassostrea gigas', aren't as rare. But as a 'foreign import' to British waters (initially from Portugal, later Japan) they're used to warmer waters, so don't spawn in summer like the natives; in other words, you can guzzle them with abandon all year long. Their robust flesh can withstand heat and tackle big flavours - think oysters Rockefeller or po'boys - but they have a taste and texture that’s worth savouring. |
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| Fine de Claire Produced in Marennes-Oléron, Southwest France and refined in 'claires' (clay beds) for a firm texture and sweet flavour. A clean, nutty taste and delicate flesh are the hallmarks of the top end 'Spéciale de Claire Premier Cru' and 'Extra Spéciale de Claire'. Discerning epicures hunt down the rare 'Pousse en Claire', or 'foie gras of oysters', available in November. Frenchman’s Creek A hit in London’s oyster bars, these pretty frilled rocks come from Cornwall's Helford River. The juicy oysters' sweet meat has a marked mineral note. Maldon Rocks Very consistent, widely available farmed oysters from the Blackwater River in Essex, on the same estuary as Mersea. Their flavour segues smoothly from an assertive opening note of wood to a long mineral finish. |
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Oyster Suppliers
| The Chelsea Fishmonger 10 Cale Street, Chelsea www.thechelseafishmonger.com |
Covent Garden Fishmongers 37 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick www.coventgardenfishmongers.co.uk |
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Fishworks |
Moxon's |
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Selfridges Food Hall |
Steve Hatt |
Other suppliers and information
Shellfish Association of Great Britain
www.thecornishfishmonger.co.uk
www.falmouthoysters.co.uk
www.lochfyne.com
www.richardhawardsoysters.co.uk