Recipe
Recipe

Ingredients
Ponzu sauce
- 60g sugar
- 180ml rice wine vinegar
- 160ml soy sauce
- 1 fresh squeezed lemon, juice plus zest
- 1 fresh squeezed orange, juice
- 2tsp benito flakes
- 30g kombu
Salt foam
- 2tsp salt
- 200ml water
For the dish
- 12 NZ Pacific oysters, half shell
- 125g fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
- 3 stalks lemongrass root, bottom ⅓ only, bruised
- 20ml tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
- 130ml ponzu sauce
- 250ml water
- 2 leaves gelatin
- fresh ground white pepper to taste
- herb for garnish eg shiso cress

Seafood used

Cooking method
Ponzu sauce
In a stainless steel saucepan dissolve the sugar & vinegar, remove from the heat & add all the other ingredients. Allow to cool & transfer to a container, place in a refrigerator & allow to infuse for a few hours. Strain through a fine sieve & store in a container with a lid in the refrigerator.
Salt foam
- In a small sauce pan bring the water & salt up to the boil & then allow to cool to room temperature. Using an immersion stick blender, aerate the salt water till small bubbles form. This method will need to be repeated to maintain a supply of foam.
- The foam can now be scooped off & served.
For the dish
- Loosen the oyster from the shell, leaving loosened meat in the shell.
- Place ginger, lemongrass, tamari, ponzu, water & any oyster juice in a stainless steel pot & bring to the boil, reduce the heat & allow to simmer. Reduce the mixture by half, then remove from heat & pass through a fine strainer reserving the liquid only in a bowl. Season with pepper.
- Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water to allow to soften, then remove from water, squeeze out any excess water & add to the hot ginger lemongrass ponzu liquid.
- Stir the mixture over a bowl of ice to allow to cool, stir constantly until it gels to a thick loose consistency.
- Spoon over the oysters, finish with salt foam & herb garnish.
Note: Benito flakes, kombu & tamari can all be found in an Asian food store or in some supermarkets.
Image and recipe courtesy Nurtured Seafood