These gin and cucumber oysters make for a refreshing summer starter, accompanied by a cold glass of wine.
Oysters are my death row meal. Natural, obviously. Ideally with an array of dressings: vinaigrettes, a squeeze of lemon, hot sauce etc. They are my favourite starter, my favourite snack. Nothing says summer than a plate of fresh oysters and a glass of white wine.
Living in Australia, summer lines up with Christmas. Here, seafood is a favourite when it comes to a festive spread. We love our cold prawns, Moreton Bay bugs, fresh crab and oysters. So I thought it would be fitting to include a recipe that would fit right in at my own Christmas table.
Gin and cucumber oysters are a riff on the classic mignonette sauce. The vinaigrette features finely diced cucumber and spring onions, drenched in gin and lime. Keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill right down and then spoon it over cold oysters. It also works wonderfully well as a dipping sauce for shellfish.
Gin, with notes of juniper and other spices, compliments the salty, briny flavour of the oysters. I'd suggest using something like Hendricks Gin, which is already infused with cucumber, or Bombay Sapphire which is very citrus on the nose. The gin I used is Darwin Gin, infused with Kakadu Plum, water lilies and native lemongrass.
Watch the video here. Don't forget to tag me if you make this one - I love nothing more than to see you recreate my recipes!
Gin and Cucumber Oysters
Ingredients
- ¼ Lebanese cucumber
- 1 spring onion white and light green part only
- ½ green chilli seeds removed
- 20 mL gin
- 62.5 mL lime juice
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Pinch salt
- Pinch sugar
- 2 dozen freshly shucked oysters
Instructions
- Remove half the skin of the cucumber. Slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Finely dice into small cubes.
- Slice spring onion lengthways. Finely dice.
- Mince green chilli.
- In a bowl, add cucumber, spring onion and green chilli. Cover with gin and lime juice. Sprinkle with black pepper, salt and sugar and stir.
- Cover and keep in the fridge for one hour, or overnight.
- Lay oysters on a serving plate. Drizzle a teaspoon of the vinaigrette over the top of each.
Looking for another seafood starter? Try my simple prawn cocktail.
