Hot oysters with cold cucumber and vodka jelly, and spicy merguez sausages

Serves 8 Starters and mains

Ang 2225 Brighter 1

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Ingredients

  • 24 fresh oysters
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 4 shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 30g cooked curly kale (remove the tough stem before cooking)
  • 2tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4tbsp fine white breadcrumbs
  • 25g Manchego, grated
  • 15g butter, melted

For the cucumber and vodka jelly

  • 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 90ml cucumber-flavoured vodka
  • 4 gelatin leaves, soaked in cold water until soft

For the sausages

  • 400g merguez sausages or fresh pork and spicy chorizoflavoured fresh sausages, skin removed
  • oil for frying

Method

To make the cucumber and vodka jelly, put the chopped cucumber into a blender and purée. Add salt to taste, then the vodka. Squeeze out the water from the sheets of gelatin and put them in a small pan with 2tbsp hot water. Swirl to dissolve – if they don’t, then heat briefly until clear. Add to the cucumber mixture and pour into a shallow dish up to 1cm deep.

Chill for about 4 hours, or overnight. When set, cut into cubes and divide among 8 shot glasses. Chill until needed.

To make the oysters, shuck the oysters but reserve the deep shells and the juices. Wash the shells and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic for a few minutes until just softening. Roughly chop the cooked kale and add to the shallot mixture. Add the Worcestershire sauce and some freshly ground black pepper.

Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together in a bowl, stir in the melted butter and set aside. Arrange the oyster shells on a baking tray and put a little of the shallot and kale mixture into the bottom of each, add any oyster juice and top with an oyster. Chill until needed. When ready to serve, heat the grill to high and place a rack 14cm from the heat source. Divide the breadcrumb mixture among the shells, then grill for 2 minutes until golden.

To make the sausages, divide each one into 2cm balls (makes about 24). Fry for about 6 minutes, shaking the pan so they are evenly cooked.

To serve, balance the hot oysters in their shells on top of the glasses of cold jelly cubes and skewer the sausage balls on cocktail sticks next to them.

Recipes and food styling: Linda Tubby. Photography and prop styling: Angela Dukes.
Ang 2225 Brighter 1
Recipes and food styling: Linda Tubby. Photography and prop styling: Angela Dukes.

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