Continuing with all the oyster goodness (sorry for my followers that are not a fan… I will give oysters a break soon!) I have one more quick way to make a tasty topping for your oyster platters. At my recent Black, White & Gold birthday celebration I served to different platter of oysters. I served a briny oyster with champagne granita and a sweeter oyster with tabasco and lemon. I always love a good oyster with tabasco and lemon. However, these champagne granita topped oysters were AMAZING. I could have eaten a dozen of them myself!
Oyster tips from Whole Foods Market:
- The smaller they are, the sweeter they are
- Shucking is about finesse, not power
- The Sweet Spot – There’s an open area in the back of the shell when the knife stops turning, twist the knife and pop the shell open
- Protection – Wear a thick glove to protect your hand and use a rag to hold the oyster for leverage
- History – Find out where the oyster is coming from. They should always have a tag. If they don’t have a tag, you don’t want that oyster!
- If you’re hosting an event or just craving oysters, Whole Foods Market can shuck them in-house for you!
- Oysters are best 2-3 hours after being shucked.
- Prime time for oysters is now through February; the colder the weather, the better the oyster!
- Check out my post on shucking oysters here!
- Check out my tabasco shaved ice topping for oysters here!
- Check out even more oyster topping ideas on the Whole Foods Market Blog.
How To Make Champagne Granita Topped Oysters
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of champagne or sparkling wine
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Shucked Oysters – Use a briny oyster to pair nicely with the sweetness of the granita. Shuck the oysters yourself or you can do what I do and ask the nice people at your local Whole Foods Market to shuck them for you.
Directions:
- Pour 2 cups of champagne into a bowl with 1/2 cup sugar.
- Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour solution into a pan or tupperware item, cover and put in freezer.
- After 1 hour take a fork and break up the partially frozen mixture. You want to sort of drag the fork in lines along the mixture.
- Put mixture back in freezer. Repeat step 4 a few times until the mixture is a sort of snow cone consistency.
- Top oysters with a spoonful (about a teaspoon) of champagne granita and serve immediately.
Serving a less briny oyster? Pair it with little slices of lemon and tabasco for guests to use to taste or a top with a spicy tabasco shaved ice!
This post was not sponsored by Whole Foods Market even though it sort of reads like it is… I learned a lot about oysters when I visited the store for an oyster tasting and then have visited several times since to purchase oysters and feed my oyster addiction.
