Native Oysters and Champagne

Native Oysters at Searcys

If there is an 'r' in the month then it's time to be eating Native Oysters (Ostrea edulis) in the U.K.  They can be distinguished from the ubiquitous Pacific or Rock Oyster by virtue of their smoother, rounder shell although the best way to tell the difference is in the taste.  'Natives' have more flavour, in particular a pronounced mineral finish and to the oyster fan they are simply delicious.  When I eat Pacific Oysters I generally only squeeze on lemon juice and leave the shallot vinegar, Tabasco etc. firmly on the table. This is because I do not want to 'drown' the delicate creaminess.  However, the more pronounced flavour of the Native lends itself better to addition of small amounts of shallot vinegar or Tabasco.  Having said that, one squeeze of lemon does give an amazing oyster experience.

We were lucky enough to enjoy Native Oysters from Loch Ryan (Scotland) at the Grand Brasserie operated by Searcy's Champagne Bar at St. Pancras in London. This is Scotland’s only wild fishery, having remained in the possession of the Wallace family since 1701 when the oyster beds were given to them by King William III. The fishery is sustainably and productively managed, providing 95% of Scotland’s native oysters.  The expected harvest is about 300,000 oysters per season.  They harvest the largest 5% of the stock, with the rest being re-laid on the loch bed.  This simple and sustainable method is greatly increasing the stock and providing a stable future for the native oysters.

The perfect wine to accompany our oysters was a bottle of Besserat Brut Champagne. This bold and fresh wine had a fine mousse and developed complexity in the mouth with hints of apricot and tropical notes.  A perfect Champagne to enjoy with food. 

Cooking Game at River Cottage

OK I know this is a review site for seafood, so why am I writing about game ?  Well, a number of reasons but the key ones are ......  (a) seafood and game are often sold together in fishmongers (b) like fish game is generally a healthy food being very low in fat (c) game represents (in the main) wild animals, which is the case for a lot of fish which we eat.

But the main reason is that I have just attended a one day course on the preparation and cooking of game at River Cottage which was so informative and enjoyable that I want to share it with you.

I arrived at River Cottage HQ at 09:30 on a windy Wednesday morning and met up with my 6 fellow students for the day.  They included a gamekeeper, a beater and a trainee chef along with home cooks who wanted to widen their skills and knowledge.  

Following the tractor-drawn trailer ride down the hill we we ushered into a posh marquee which housed both a restaurant area and a teaching kitchen with workstations for about 20 students.  Being a small group of seven we had plenty of space and time for one-to-one instruction.  Although the marquee creaked occasionally in the wind it was warm and comfortable and it was sited to fully appreciate the magnificent views down the valley.

First item on the menu was wild rabbit - a much undervalued food item in the UK but one which is appreciated in other countries.  Rabbit is lean and (pardon the cliche) tastes a bit like chicken with flavour.  Wild rabbits are herbivorous grazers so you couldn't have a better option than a truly free-range wild one.  We learned how to skin the animal and then to prepare the best cuts of meat namely the saddle (or loin) and the thighs. The saddle was cured by coating in salt/sugar, washed, dried and then lightly smoked using oak wood chips.  This smoked loin was vacuum packed for us to take home and use at a later date.  The rabbit thighs were boned, combined with pigeon breast, pheasant, bacon pieces, rabbit liver and heart, Thyme, Rosemary, salt, pepper and onion in a red wine reduction.  This mixture was minced and pressed into glass jars for steaming to produce a delicious game pate. 

Pigeon Breasts with Beetroot

Pigeon breasts were pan fried with onion and garlic and beetroot (previously boiled).  This was served, rare, with Salsa Verde.  It totally reversed by view of pigeon as it was juicy and succulent with a subtle flavour.

Pheasant Tortilla

We prepared Pheasant from scratch without filling the room with feathers and produced a dish probably not normally associated with game i.e. Pheasant Tortillas.  We made the tortillas using a flour and water/oil mixture rolled out thinly and fried in a dry frying pan.  The Pheasant breast and thigh (boned) were cut into strips, tossed in oil with onions, garlic and spices and pan fried.  The meal was served with fresh green salad, creme fraiche and grated cheese - simple, quick and extremely tasty.

This is just a sample of some of the activities which we undertook on the day.  It was very relaxed and its success undoubtedly results from the expert support provided by our instructor, Tim Maddams, who instilled confidence in each of us with his friendly encouragement.

Roast Monkfish & Prawns with Spelt, Quinoa and Rice

Simple to prepare, tasty and healthy this is a great dish to prepare for supper with friends.  Use skinned tail fillets of Monkfish, season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave in a cool place for about 1/2 hour.  Drizzle the fillets with Olive Oil and bake in a closed casserole in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. I used a ready mix pack of Spelt, Quinoa, Red Rice and Wild Rice from the LOVElife range at Waitrose which only requires microwaving for 1 minute.  Serve the fish on top of the Spelt, with a few steamed Prawns, drizzle with a little Olive Oil and serve with Curly Kale on the side.  Delicious.