Oysters On The Half Shell With Watermelon Granita Recipes

OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL WITH WATERMELON GRANITA

Steps:

• Puree watermelon in a blender until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a 5-by-9-inch nonreactive loaf pan; discard solids. Stir in lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
• Scrape granita with a fork until fluffy. Freeze again while shucking oysters.
• Shuck oysters, and arrange on a bed of crushed ice. Garnish ice with lemon zest. Top each oyster with 1 to 2 teaspoons granita toward the narrow end of the oyster shell.

RAW OYSTERS ON THE HALF SHELL

Steps:

• Scrub the oysters under cold water with a stiff brush to remove the dirt, especially in the hinge area where mud has a tendency to get trapped. Next, find a durable thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square; this will steady the oysters as you shuck them and also protect your hand. Using the towel as a mitt, place the oyster, cup-side down in the palm of your towel-covered hand with the hinge facing you; have a small bowl handy to catch the delicious juice. Insert the tip of an oyster knife or dull butter knife as far into the hinge as it will go; don't jab it in there or you could break the shell. With gentle force, twist the knife back and forth to pry the shell open. Using the knife, cut the muscle away from the top shell, bend the shell back, and discard it. Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell. Tip out the briny liquor into the bowl and pour it back over the shucked oysters. Nestle the oysters in a bed of crushed ice or rock salt to keep them steady. Spoon the Cucumber Mignonette on top and serve as part of a raw shellfish bar.
• In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, black pepper, and cilantro; mixing with a fork. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to the day before you plan to serve, to allow the flavors to come together. Serve with raw oysters and clams.

OYSTERS WITH CHILE, LIME AND MINT GRANITA

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a small pot and add the mint. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid reduces by half. Remove from heat and add the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Discard the mint sprigs. Add the chile-garlic sauce and mix well.
• Transfer the mixture to a stainless-steel or glass pan and place in the freezer. Whisk the mixture every 10 to 20 minutes and continue to freeze until the mixture is consistency of shaved ice, about 2 hours. Break up crystals and whisk before serving.
• Top each oyster with a tablespoon of the granita and serve immediately.