Crispy Oyster Crustade Amuse

We’re going to make a beautiful oyster pie tee amuse, but with a big twist, because the shell is edible as well! The oyster shell we’ll make with an oyster stamp and fill it with an oyster cream, marinaded oyster, an samphire vinaigrette and a salty herb bundle.

Opening up oysters & the oyster cream

I use Dutch oysters from the Oosterschelde. Put an oyster between a kitchen towel and place an oyster knife in the joint. Really make sure it’s stuck and then twist the knife to break the joint. Now place your thumb between the two shells and clean the knife. Then gently cut the muscle on the flat shell and take the shell off. It’s always super important to smell an oyster. It needs to smell fresh and a bit salty, otherwise it might be bad and you could get very sick. Now use the knife to cut the muscle on the bottom shell, be gentle so you don’t damage the oyster. Then turn them around and place them on a tray. After that cut the oyster just behind the muscle and keep the belly on a tray. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and cover the bellies to prevent them from drying out. Then keep them covered in your fridge for later. The other part we’ll use to make a cream.

70 grams	oyster trimmings
20 grams	sushi vinegar
20 grams	egg white
2 grams	salt
10 grams	lime juice
220 grams	neutral oil (I use sunflower oil)

For that weigh 70 grams of the oyster trimmings and also add the sushi vinegar, the egg white, the salt and the lime juice. Now blend this till smooth. Once smooth add the neutral oil and blend it till it’s emulsified. Then transfer it into a piping bottle and let it set for at least 1 hour in your fridge. You can keep this cream for 1 or 2 days.

The samphire vinaigrette

30 grams	samphire
10 grams	chives
150 grams	neutral oil (I use sunflower oil)

First the oil. Mix the samphire with the chives and the neutral oil. Blend this till the temperature of the oil is 65 degrees Celsius, it will heat up from the friction. Then pass it through a super fine sieve or a sieve that’s lined with a kitchen paper to clarify it. Keep it in your fridge to prevent it from changing color.

50 grams	sushi vinegar
30 grams	ginger syrup
50 grams	champagne or prosecco wine
2 grams	salt
10 turns	black pepper

For the base mix the sushi vinegar with the ginger syrup, the champagne or prosecco wine, the salt and the black pepper. Mix this and then transfer it into a piping bottle. Keep both the base and oil separate in your fridge for later.

The oyster pie tee shells

300 grams	fish broth
70 grams	flour
70 grams	oat flour
25 grams	corn starch
3 grams	salt
2 grams	squid ink

Pour the fish broth into a measuring jar and also add the flour, the oat flour, the corn starch and the salt. Now blend this till smooth. Then pour half of the batter into a small jar and add the squid ink to the remaining batter. Blend this till it has an even color. Once that’s done heat up some frying oil till it’s 170 degrees Celsius and heat up the oyster stamp as well. Click here for more info.

Once it’s hot pour the white base into a small container and drizzle the dark base on top. Make a preferred pattern with a tweezer. Then dip the stamp into the batter for around 5 seconds and let it sit for a minute to dry before deep frying it. Now deep fry the pie tee for around a minute till it starts to color. Once it starts to color gently press it off the stamp and take it out off the hot oil. Then let them cool down completely. Now place them with the flat side down and spray a touch of silver spray on top. I always do this outside, otherwise you’ll be seeing glitters for weeks. Then dry them at 50 degrees Celsius for an hour or two.

200 grams	marrow bones
20 grams	cacao butter
25 grams	white chocolate
2 grams	salt

Meanwhile toast the marrow bones at 180 degrees Celsius for an hour. This will melt the marrow and create a wonderful, toasted flavor. Now take them out of the oven and let them cool down for a minute. Then scrape the marrow out of the bone and measure 45 grams into a blender. Also add the cacao butter, the white chocolate and the salt. Blend this till smooth. The chocolate and cacao butter will melt from the heat of the toasted marrow. After that pass it through a fine sieve and let it cool down till it starts to thicken, but it still is liquid enough to pour. Then use a brush to add a layer on the inside of the oyster pie tee’s. You’ll probably need to add 2 or 3 layers and let it set in between. Without the marrow layer you can keep them dry and covered for a couple of days, but with the marrow you can keep them dry and covered for a day or two.

The shallot rings

Cut both ends of a shallot and remove the skin. Gently cut it in even thin rings with a sharp knife or a sharp mandolin. Then wash the rings in ice water for a minute to balance the sharp taste and make them crisp up. You can also make sweet and sour shallot rings, that would be very delicious as well! Now drain the water and spread the rings on a kitchen paper. Keep them covered in your fridge for later.

The herb bundle

Blanch some chives in salted water till softened and then directly cool down them in ice water. Now place a piece of chives on a cutting board and lay your herbs and flowers on top. I use sea fennel, nasturtium leaves, samphire, carrot leaves and a sorrel flower. Then use the chive to bind the bundle together. Wind the chive around the bundle and cut the bottom off to tighty it up.

How to finish the amuse

Pipe a dot of the oyster cream on the bottom and place the oyster on top. Pipe another dot next to it and drizzle some of the vinaigrette base on the oyster. Then also add the samphire oil. Now press the bundle in the cream and place a shallot ring on top. Once the amuse is plated it’s best to serve it directly to prevent it from turning soft.