Saturday, 14 February 2009

Coctel de Ostiones: 23p Tesco Oysters





This morning, waking up feeling decidedly jaded, I popped to Tesco's for a litre of lucozade and a pork pie. Ever the benevolent dictator they were offering oysters half price at 23p each in an attempt to stir the Valentine's desires of the British public. Taking advantage of their generous offer I bought a dozen and made an oyster cocktail based on a Mexican seaside favourite Coctel de Ostiones. The classic, fresh combination of lime, coriander, chili and tomato coupled with the smack of the sea did wonders for my hangover.

Coctel de Ostiones (Serves 2):

12 rock oysters,
2 shallots,
2 crisp tomatoes,
1/3 cucumber,
1 green chili (Serrano ideally),
2 tbsp tomato ketchup,
juice of 1 lime,
hot sauce to taste (Valentina, Cholula if you have it, tabasco will do)
black pepper
sliced avocado to garnish.


Finely chop the shallots, tomatoes, cucumber and chili. Combine in a bowl with the shucked oysters and liquour. Mix in the ketchup, lime juice and hot sauce and season with black pepper. It's good eaten straight away or can be left in the fridge for 30 min or so for the flavours to mulch and the oysters to cevichify. Serve in a sundae glass (if you've got one) and garnish with avocado.

This recipe works equally well with a variety of seafood. Traditionally octopus, prawns, crab and conch might be used, or a combination (campechana). In the case of octopus, crab and prawns boil, beforehand and reserve some cooking liquor to add to the cocktail.

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