KNYSNA NEWS - With the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival around the corner, Peppadew supplied delicious oyster recipes to experiment with.
Did you know that oysters are at their best eaten during the cold months of the year?
Did you know that they’re 'friends with benefits' as proven by Casanova, the 18th century lover who used to breakfast on 50 oysters?
One can grill them, fry them or poach them, but many prefer them raw, splashed with a seductive sizzler: Peppadew piquanté pepper’s sensational hot splash-on sauce (only adventurous taste buds need apply). It’s the ultimate sea-fresh oyster partner and what could be easier?
Shuck them, splash them, slurp them (romantically) and thank Neptune that there are oysters in winter.
Serves 4.
Not everyone is partial to the taste and texture of raw oysters and prefers them cooked. Forget the Rockefellers. Here is a fabulous recipe for grilled oysters a la Peppadew!
- 4 cups English spinach, chopped and rinsed
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) butter
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) spring onions, finely chopped
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) Whole Hot or Mild Peppadew sweet piquanté peppers, drained and finely chopped
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) Parmesan cheese, grated
- 16 freshly shucked oysters on the half shell
- coarse salt
Preheat the oven grill.
Place the spinach into a hot saucepan and cook until wilted. It takes about 2 minutes. Drain and press down onto the spinach with a spoon to squeeze out the water and stir in the butter. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
Combine the spring onion and sweet piquanté peppers in a bowl.
Remove the oyster flesh from the half shell and place a spoonful of the buttery spinach onto the half shell. Place the oyster meat on top of the spinach. Top with a small teaspoon of the Pepppadew sweet piquanté pepper and spring onion mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Place the oysters onto a bed of coarse salt in a large roasting pan and cook under the hot grill for 5 minutes. Serve at once.
Cream of Potato Soup with Oysters and Peppadew Splash-On Sauce
Serves 4
Dazzle your dinner guests with the wonderful taste sensations that this steaming hot potato soup, the ice-cold fresh oysters and a good dollop of Peppadew Splash-On Sauce create in the mouth.
- 4 leeks, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) butter
- 4 large potatoes, cubed
- 1 liter (4 cups) fish stock
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
- 250 ml (1 cup) cream
- 12 oysters, freshly shucked and all the lovely juices collected
- salt and white pepper to taste
- Hot or Mild Peppadew Splash-On Sauce to add the magic
In a large saucepan sauté the leeks and onion in the butter until softened. Add the potatoes and fish stock and simmer for 30 minutes until the potatoes are very soft. Add the milk, cream and oyster juice.
Blend the soup in batches in a food processor and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Return the soup to the saucepan and heat until piping hot.
Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and divide the chopped fresh oysters between the bowls of soup.
Serve at once with a few generous drops of Peppadew Splash-On Sauce.
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