Oyster Ceviche

"As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans." 

Earnest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Hemingway's words capture the joy that comes with eating raw oysters on the half shell. And, I have enjoyed many an oyster in that fashion. Eastern oysters, ranging from the Damariscotta River in Maine to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Western oysters, from Puget Sound in Washington State to Northern California. Despite all of the different varieties of oysters that I have tried, I have never encountered a "faint metallic taste." I do love the briny, seawater taste that comes with each little bivalve.

Over time, I have expanded beyond simply eating raw oysters. I have made a variety of oyster shooters, including my Andalusian-Inspired Oyster Shooters and my Trinidad Oyster Cocktail. I have also made oyster stews. 

I recently had a couple dozen oysters, Chunus, which were farmed in the Chesapeake Bay. I decided to serve one dozen in the traditional fashion, that is, raw on the half shell.  But, I wanted to find a new way to experience the joy of eating oysters.  

That is when I came across a recipe for Oyster Ceviche. The dish, ceviche," is generally described as raw seafood that is "cooked" through chemical reactions caused by the acid in citrus juice that coagulates the proteins in the seafood. 

There is some debate about ceviche's origins.  Most scholars and historians believe that the dish originated in colonial-era Peru, with the Spanish bringing the citrus - at first, oranges, and then, lemons and limes - which were combined with local seafood and chiles to make the dish. Most historians also agree that it was not the conquistadors who were responsible for the creation of ceviche. Instead, they credit the Moorish women who were brought to the New World with the colonizers. The women brought a cooking method known as escabeche, which is the maceration of raw meat or fish in vinegar or citrus. The word escabache itself is derived from the Andalusi Arabic phrase al-sikbaj. While the origins may trace back to the old world and to Arabic empires, there is little doubt that ceviche is Peru's national dish.  

Most ceviche served in restaurants usually involves fish. To the extent "shellfish" is involved, it is usually shrimp.  Other shellfish - such as oysters and clams - are usually not on the menu. The thought of gently "cooking" oysters with citrus juice really intrigued me. The addition of the diced bell peppers, diced red onions and chopped cilantro also provide a colorable palette for the oysters. The one departure from the recipe that I did was to simply chop the oysters in half, rather than in "small chunks." I think the larger the oyster, the better the presentation. The next time that I make this recipe, I will probably keep the oysters whole, unless they are too large. 

OYSTER CEVICHE

Recipe from Laylita

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 6 large oysters, shucked, liqueur reserved
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
• 5 limes juiced
• 1/2 tablespoon sunflower seed oil or light olive oil
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the onions. Soak the onion in one cup of cold water with 1 teaspoon of salt.  Rinse and drain well. Marinate with the juice of 1 lime.

2. Prepare the oysters. Remove the oyster meat from the oyster shells, saving the oyster liqueur (juice), and chop the oysters into small cubes.

3. Marinate the oysters. In a medium sized bowl, combine the chopped oysters, the liqueur, marinated red onion, diced tomatoes, diced bell pepper, lime juice, finely chopped cilantro, oil and salt to taste.  Let marinate in the fridge for about 5 to 10 minutes and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!