Chocolate Oysters

As I mentioned in the last post, I have been enjoying oysters in my kitchen for the past weeks as I scheme up Valentine’s Day chocolate aphrodisiacs with my dear friend Vanessa. She is an incredible singer songwriter that as I am discovering has an incredible gift for all the senses.  Could she be a super taster super ear, super olfactory etc… is there something to that – could Bob Marley have been blessed with the same astuteness for taste? I digress.  Being that the oyster is the mighty, famed symbol of aphrodisiacs how could I not tempt fate and conjure up something with chocolate. The nuances of an oyster are multifarious. There are many varieties and they range in complexity and strength from delicate to pungently powerful.  My preferred choice for oysters are the Kumamotos from the bays of Northern California. These oysters are like inhaling the sweet breath of the sea.  They smell of fresh tidal pools trapped between the mossy rocks.  James Beard once said that oysters are  “one of the supreme delights that nature has bestowed on man. … Oysters lead to discussion, to contemplation, and to sensual delight. There is nothing quite like them.”

Much like chocolate, the oyster is a mysterious love that cannot fully be explained. For this recipe, I have chosen to anoint the oysters with chocolate in its nearly basic form, the cocoa nib.  Mixed with some fragrant ginger and tart green apple, you will discover a variety of texture while your nose uncovers layer after layer.

Oysters with Cocoa Nibs, Ginger and Green Apple

Yields approximately 1/8 cup and can be used on 2 dozen oysters.

1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon cocoa nibs
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon tamari
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon granny smith apple brunoise
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Clean and shuck oysters. Find step by step instructions here. (I prefer Kumumoto oysters. You can order them here.) Mix all above ingredients together and let it sit for ten minutes. Spoon onto a perfectly plump and sumptuous oyster, admire her beauty and gently sip the briny, fresh mother of the pearl.

Pina Ginger Irie Drink paired with Collection of Zion

This month at Vosges Haut-Chocolat, we are featuring the Collection of Zion which was inspired by my travel experiences in Jamaica and the music of Bob Marley. I have always had a guttural reaction to his music and after listening to the words, I was intrigued by Rastafaris and drawn to learn more about their messages.

Rastafarianism is a religious and political movement that started around the beginning of the 20th century. Rastafarians are mostly vegetarian and live off the land harvesting plants, vegetables, fruits and spices. They wear their hair in dreadlocks as a symbol of their commitment to Jah (God) and achieve spiritual enlightenment by smoking kaya. Bob Marley was one of the first Rastas to bring the political struggle against Babylon (modern society) to mainstream music, spreading the message and increasing awareness. Rastafarians believe in and strive for a perfect world called Zion.  Bob Marley sang of it often.  The Collection of Zion was inspired by Bob Marley’s message and it explores the flowers, fruits and herbs of Jamaica through chocolate. 

The island of Jamaica is home to a fascinating blend of cultures. Jamaican inhabitants came from around the globe, bringing with them cooking techniques, flavors and the spices of their homelands. Blending this with the bountiful harvest of the tropical island brought forth some of the most flavorful cuisine in the Caribbean. These are the flavors which inspire the Zion collection… Jamaican allspice, with its essence of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, is used in jerk seasonings, sauces and curries. The sorrel flower, brought from India, blooms in December in deep red shades. 

While in Jamaica, I sipped pineapple drinks that were made from the skin of the pineapple.  Not only does this sweet sipping nectar transport you to the tropics with its aroma and flavor, it utilizes a part of the fruit that is normally considered waste.   In Rastafarian vocabulary, Irie refers to positive emotions or feelings, or anything that is good.  Specifically, it refers to high emotions and peaceful vibrations.   Imbibe this Pina Ginger Irie Drink between bites of chocolate truffles from the Collection of Zion.  Turn up the Bob Marley and see how the sweet vibrations begin to flow…

Pina Ginger Irie Drink

1 peel of fresh pineapple + 2 cups small chunks of pineapple
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
3 cups boiling water
1 cup sugar
crushed ice

Freeze chunks of pineapple in the freezer overnight to make “pineapple ice.” You may want to lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet for a few hours in the freezer and then put them in a bag or airtight container so they do not freeze into one large chunk.
 
Place the pineapple skin and grated ginger in a large bowl.  Stir the sugar into the boiling water and then pour it over the pineapple skin and ginger.  Let it sit until the liquid reaches room temperature then cover  it and  place in the refrigerator.  The next day, strain the liquid and serve over crushed ice and your frozen pineapple ice.  

A fabulous compliment to the Zion truffle in this collection (tamarind, 65% dark chocolate and scotch bonnet).

Holy Basil, Ginger, Lime Tea with Cocoa Nibs

Warmer weather and my craving for all things tart inspired me to mix up this pitcher of fragrant “tea”.   Memories of the floating Thai market wafted back… I inhaled holy basil and kaffir lime.  Although many have tried twists on the usual lemonade and limeade, adding ginger, basil and cocoa nibs will probably come as a surprise.  This would have made one heck of a lemonade stand offering back in the day.

Cocoa nibs are the newest addition to the super food suite and their ultra-healthy benefits beg me  to use them raw in everything I can from brownies to soup.  Cocoa nibs are actually fermented and roasted beans that are broken into small pieces once they are winnowed (thin skin removed).  Depending on the quality of the beans and the process of fermentation and roasting they taste of their pure origin cocoa. 51% of the bean is cocoa butter and the remaining percentage is the dark chocolate-y, cocoa mass.   When soaked in water or in this case, thai lime ginger refreshment, the nibs hydrate a bit so they aren’t as crunchy hard and rather add a nice, surprising texture, flavor and soft crunch.  Even the color is effected the longer you cold steep the nibs the pinker the tea becomes.   Try Valrhona cocoa nibs.  (They are a bit hard to find.  I am planning a PLC blogger shop to help provide readers with needed ingredients!)   Serve with a plate of freshly frozen pineapple slices.

Holy Basil, Ginger, Lime Tea with Cocoa Nibs
Serves 8

1/2 cup lime juice
6  cups of water
1 1/2 cups of sugar, organic agave syrup OR 3 full droppers of liquid stevia
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
1 inch of ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
2 tbsp tamarind pulp (optional)
1 Handful of Thai Holy Basil or Italian Sweet Basil

Put water, lime juice and sugar, agave or stevia in a large pitcher.  Put the peeled ginger in a Vita-Mix blender, my kitchen accessory of choice, with 1 cup of the water mixture. Blend until smooth.  (I HIGHLY recommend you buy a Vita-mix blender.  I am obsessed with this multi-utilitarian dreamboat of a machine and especially it’s lifetime guarantee. Throw anything at it and it will pulverize, puree, boil, your wish is it’s command. From grinding pearls into pearl dust to making ice cream, it truly is the best blender and best piece of kitchen equipment you could own. I digress…)  Add the ginger mixture back to the pitcher.   Add the the cocoa nibs, tamarind (if using) and the entire bunch of basil whole.  Stir.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Sugar will dissolve and flavors will infuse. Stir and serve over ice with holy basil garnish.