Serves 4
Ingredients
Oysters
36 Helvick rock oysters
Raw oysters
8 large cleaned oysters
Oyster sorbet
400g oysters
300ml mineral water
1 gelatine leaf
42g glycerine
Oyster beignet
8 cleaned oysters
100ml mineral water
50g tonic
1 egg
90g flour
10g corn starch
2g baking powder
Oyster meringue
300ml oyster water
200ml mineral water
50ml pasteurised egg white
4 gelatine leaves
Blackcurrant “gel”
200ml blackcurrant coulis
50ml tonic
3.75g agar agar
15g sugar
Salt
Blackcurrant “tapioca”
20g tapioca
100ml blackcurrant coulis
100ml water
300ml water
Salt, lime zest, olive oil, to season
Guinness beer
100ml guinness beer
0.2gr xantana
Nasturtium oil
200g nasturtium leaves
150g grapeseed oil
Salt
Garnish
Crushed hazelnuts
Little gem lettuce
Sea vegetable powder
Nasturtium leaves
Method
Helvick oysters
Open the oysters and wash in their own juices.
Raw oysters
Set aside until ready to serve-see last instruction.
Oyster sorbet
Soak the gelatine. Warm 50ml of mineral water and dissolve the gelatine. Pace the
Rest of the ingredients in a blender and blitz. Add the gelatine at the last moment. Pour into a pacojet cup and freeze for 24 hours. Churn sorbet 30 minutes before serving the dish.
Oyster beignet
Place the oysters between a clean towel and dry. Place the mineral water, tonic and egg into a suitable mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth then mix in the corn starch, flour and baking powder until a smooth mix is created. Place into a cream whipper and charge with 1 co2 capsules. Dust oysters with flour and pipe batter in a bowl. Using a toothpick, dip the oysters in the mixture. Deep fry until crisp and transparent in a clean oil on 180c. When done, remove from oil, season with salt and lemon zest and serve.
Oyster meringue
Soak gelatine in cold water. Heat a small part of the mineral water and dissolve the gelatine. Mix in with the rest of the mineral and oyster water, then add the egg white. Pass through a fine sieve into a small cream whipper and place in the fridge. Let it set for at least 6 hours. Then charge with 2 co2 capsules and shake well. Carefully pipe onto the plate at the last moment.
Blackcurrant gel
Dissolve agar agar in the tonic and blackcurrant coulis. Add sugar, place in a suitable pot and bring to the boil, while consistently stirring. Add salt to taste and pour into container and set. When set push the set mass through a sieve and put in a small blender. Blitz until smooth, then put in a squeezy bottle until ready to serve.
Blackcurrant tapioca
Add a pinch of salt to the water and bring to the boil. Add the tapioca. Let it soft boil for 10 minutes, then sieve the tapioca and add to 100ml of water and 100ml of blackcurrant coulis. Let the tapioca simmer until you see the pearls start to go transparent. When you reach this stage, pour the tapioca into a small container and add zest and oil. Let it cool and keep in the fridge ready to serve.
Guinness beer
Whisk and dissolve the xantana with the guinness. Place in a small container until ready to serve.
Nasturtium oil
In a large blender place the nasturtium and grapeseed oil. Add a generous pinch of salt. Blend on high speed until you feel the oil begin to warm up. Turn off and pass through a superbag (ultra fine filter 200 micron). The residue can be dried and powdered. Save the oil in a container and place in the fridge.
Assembling
On a deep edged round plate arrange 3 little gem lettuce hearts. Place a raw oyster on one and one on the plate. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and place the sorbet in the middle. Place one of the deep fried beignets on the plate and one on the lettuce, sprinkle with sea vegetable powder. Drizzle nasturtium oil on the plate and scoop some guinness with it. Place some tapioca pearls on top of the raw oysters. Then pipe meringue on the plate. Arrange fresh nasturtium on the plate, another tuile on the pear, then another rectangle of biscuit mirliton and top with a third croustillant tuile. Scoop a spoonful of foam onto the top tuile. Set three pear matchsticks on the opposite side of the plate and rest 3 asian pear gelée discs aside them. Pipe a swirly line of maple ice cream on the plate and serve immediately.
Raw oysters
Open the oysters and wash in their own juices. Strain and place the oyster back into the shell. Bring blackcurrant coulis to a simmer. Add salt and pepper and dissolve the gelatine in the gravy and bring to the boil. If it thickens, taste and strain into a food container. Cool. When the gel is set, cover until needed. Put an anti-baking pan on medium heat with hazelnuts and toss until golden brown. Cover with hazelnut oil and seasalt. Place it on paper to reduce the greasiness. Add a tsp of guinness beer to the oyster. Add ½tsp of blackcurrant gel on top. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and lemon zest. Serve.
Photography by Shane O’Neill and Martin Morrell