Introduction

Oysters are an acquired taste, and if I'm real honest with you, I'd admit that I'm still acquiring the taste. While I may not enjoy raw oysters as much as my dear friend, Jon Rowley, who's Twitter name (@oysterwine) illustrates his love for these salty sea creatures, I can still admire their appeal.

The most popular feature of oysters is that they boast aphrodisiac powers with each bite causing the diner to slide deeper in to a state of love and affection. This is probably why the ancient Romans would pay for them by their weight in gold.

While I hesitated to slurp up these raw oysters with the enthusiasm that Jon had, using my current pregnant state as my reasoning, he tried to persuade me that they are in fact the best food I can eat while pregnant. He boasted of their nutritional content saying they are loaded with iron, copper, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and D. I believed him and vowed to continue on my quest to fall in love with oysters once my sensitive pregnant stomach is a thing of the past.

Jon recommends drinking any of the 2010 winners of the "Oyster Wine" competition. The Oyster Wine Competition is an annual competition sponsored by Taylor Shellfish Farms in Washington State. "The goal of the competition is to identify a group of West Coast wines that can be recommended as good 'oyster wines'...good wines to accompany oysters."

While some, namely Jon, say it's a shame to put anything on a raw oyster other than your mouth, I can't help but dot these ocean beauties in this sweet, tart, crisp and cold mignonette granita. Mignonette is a sauce of vinegar and shallots that is a classic pairing with oysters. In this recipe, I've added finely diced red pepper for color and warmth and turned the entire mixture into a chilly granita which offers an intriguing contrast in temperature and texture when paired with the raw oyster.

Oysters with Champagne Mignonette Granita

Champagne Mignonette Granita

• 2 Tbl shallot, finely minced
• 1 Tbl red pepper, finely diced
• 2 Tbl Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup Champagne
• 3 Tbl sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp chives, chopped

Directions

Combine all the ingredients except the chives. Place in a shallow dish then put in the freezer. Every twenty minutes break up the ice crystals that form with a fork. Once all the liquid is frozen you should have a light and fluffy ice mixture.

Just before serving place about a teaspoon of the granita on your oysters then garnish with fresh chives. Jon provided me with Willapa Bay Oysters from Washington State.

How to Shuck an Oyster (video)

Shucking oysters can seem a daunting task. I hope this video will help remove any doubts that it can be done by any novice. It took me three oysters before Jon deemed me a seasoned pro. If I can do it, anyone can!

The video plays twice. The first time you'll see the entire process. After that we break it down step by step.

About Ashley E. Rodriguez

Food became my life while living in Italy. Growing up I was fortunate to have been brought up around a mother who intuitively knew how to cook, and just by being around that, it rubbed off on me. But it was in Italy where I truly began to appreciate the power of good food.

For me food is so much more than following a recipe in order to reach a desired product. As much as I enjoy that tasty product and the process in which it was created, my personal infatuation with food focuses on the aspects that go beyond satisfying a bodily hunger. I am completely and utterly obsessed with food because of its effect on the people who consume it, grow it, produce it, enjoy it, and live for it. Food is culture, it nourishes our bodies, it is passion, it is hard work, and for many it is their livelihood.

My culinary career has been primarily pastry focused. I worked under the Captain of the winning American Coupe du Monde team (the Olympics of bread baking) at the Essential Bread Baking Company in Seattle, WA. From there I went on to Los Angeles where I studied under Sherry Yard (Executive Pastry Chef for Wolfgang Puck's restaurant empire) at Wolfgang Puck's famous Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills. While working with Sherry, I also assisted her with her second book, Desserts By The Yard.

I moved back to Washington State and began my pastry business, fulfilling all sweet needs. You can see my work in numerous publications including Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom. Currently I am focusing on training my two young boys to have distinguished palates. You can also find me writing, teaching and creating a television program on the subject of real, good food.

Photographs copyright by Ashley Rodriguez. Used with permission.