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.