Pacific Kiss - BC Oysters

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Kusshi Oysters

with Pickled Vegetables, Cucumber Jelly and Horseradish Foam

by executive chef Frank Pabst of the Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar, Vancouver, BC

(serves 4)

Horseradish Foam:

• 1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 leaf gelatin, softened in a little cold water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of sugar

Cucumber Jelly:

• 1 English cucumber, grated
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 4 leaves gelatin, softened in a little cold water

Pickled vegetables:

• 1/4 red onion, julienned
• 1/4 bulb fennel, julienned
• 2 ribs celery, julienned
• (about half-a-cup)
• 1/2 cucumber, julienned
• (about half-a-cup)
• 1 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup mirin
• Pinch of hot red chili flakes
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 thin slices fresh ginger
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp chopped chives, chopped
• + chive tops for garnish

12 small Kusshi Oysters

Horseradish Foam Place horseradish in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring water and cream to a boil and pour over horseradish. Press out the moisture from the gelatin leaf. Dissolve gelatin in the warm horseradish cream, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add lemon juice, sugar and a couple of pinches of salt. Pour this horseradish creaminto the whipped cream dispenser and charge the dispenser with one cartridge of nitrous oxide. Keep the dispenser refridgerated for 2 hours until ready to serve.

Cucumber Jelly Combine cucumber with sea salt. Allow to stand for 10 minutes and press the juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. (You should have about 1 cup of cucumber juice.) Warm 2 Tbsp of the cucumber juice in the microwave for 15 seconds. Press out the excess moisture from the gelatin, then dissolve it in the warm cucumber juice. Pour this mixture into the remaining cucumber juice and mix thoroughly. Line an 8-inch X 14-inch deep-sided baking sheet with plastic wrap. Pour the cucumber mixture onto the baking sheet, then refridgerate for 2 hours until the jelly has completely set. Using a round cutter 11/2-inches in diameter, cut out 12 disks.

Pickled vegetables In a medium heat-proof bowl, mix together red onion, fennel, celery and cucumber. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, mirin, chili flakes, thyme, ginger, coriander seeds and peppercorns. Bring to a boil on high heat then remove from the heat and refridgerate until chilled. Strain the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refridgerate for 1 hour.

To serve Shuck the oysters. Starin the pickled vegetables and mix them in a small bowl with the chopped chives. On each of four chilled rectangular plates, arrange a line of three small nests of pickled vegetables. Place a shucked oyster on each of the nests and top each serving with a disc of cucumber jelly. Carefully spray a small amount of horseradish foam between the nests and garnish with the chive tops.

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