Guest Recipe: Jenny's Red Snapper Oysters

Oysters are known for being an aphrodisiac, so hold onto your hats ladies and gentlemen because Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Luckily, oysters, in the Northern hemisphere are in season from September to April, so the 14th February is of no exception.

Here I share with you, a delicious and very special recipe for ‘Red Snapper Oysters With Pickled Celery’ by Richard Haward’s Oysters. In 1732, Richard’s fourth great-grandfather began cultivating oysters from the creeks and marshes of Mersea Island. Since then, the torch has been handed down through the generations and Richard Haward’s Oysters now supply oysters to some of the best restaurants in England and export them globally.

The methods that they employ in the present day have barely altered in nearly 300 years and the Haward family have been farming oysters for all that time with patience and care at the heart of their business.

Speaking about hearts, why not prepare this recipe from the sea, to woo your Valentine? You can prepare this dish together for the ultimate in caring and sharing, or offer a self-indulgent surprise to impress your chosen one. Either way, this appetiser will surely set the tone of the day as one of theatre, taste, discovery and above all, love. Enjoy!

• Prep Time: 1 hr
• Total Time: 1 hr

Serves: 4 servings

Category: Seafood,Dinner

Ingredients

• 6 celery sticks
• 125ml cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Large handful of crushed ice
• 1.25 litres of tomato juice
• 300ml dry gin
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp Tabasco
• 1 tsp horseradish
• Ground black pepper
• Pinch of Maldon sea salt
• 8 rock (gigas) oysters
• 1 lemon, zested

Method

1. Firstly, you will need to pickle the celery to put on top of the dressed oysters. Finely dice 2 of the 6 celery sticks and place in a bowl. Cover with cider vinegar and sugar. Stir thoroughly then leave the celery to pickle for 1 hour.
2. Now you need to make the Red Snappers. This recipe will make 4 drinks and enough left over to dress 8 oysters. Don’t make these until the celery has had time to pickle and you’re ready to enjoy the oysters. They’re the perfect drink to accompany them, especially with a local gin: we use a locally distilled gin called ‘The Oysterman’. You will also need a cocktail shaker or a jug.
3. Put the crushed ice, tomato juice, gin, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, horseradish, black pepper and sea salt into the cocktail shaker or jug. Shake to mix everything thoroughly.
4. Add more crushed ice to 4 glasses then pour the Red Snapper mixture over the top. You will have the equivalent of 1 glass remaining to dress the oysters. Trim the 4 remaining celery sticks and place one in each glass.
5. Now it is time to shuck your oysters. Once you have shucked them, drizzle them with the remaining Red Snapper mixture and top with the pickled celery, lemon zest and some cracked black pepper. Serve on a bed of seaweed and ice and wash them down with a Red Snapper!

Jenny Jefferies is an award-winning author and Food Hero with Love British Food, a member of The Guild of Food Writers, a member of The British Guild of Agricultural Journalists and writes a regular online article for Country & Town House magazine, a monthly food blog for Farmers Guardian and regular articles for Rural Life magazine.