CREAMY CRUNCHY OYSTERS

• 8 x fresh oysters, shucked
• 15g (half an oz) butter
• 1 x shallot, finely chopped
• 1 x 5ml spoon (1 teaspoon) fresh chopped chervil or parsley
• 150ml (5 fl oz) double cream
• salt and black pepper
• 30g (1oz) Gruyère cheese, grated
• 1 x 15ml spoon (1 tablespoon) breadcrumbs

Method

1. Preheat the grill

2. Arrange the oysters in the bottom half of the shells and place on a baking sheet.

3. Melt the butter in a small pan and add the shallot and cook until soft.

4. Stir in the chervil, cream and seasoning to taste.

5. Place a spoonful of the sauce on top of each oyster and sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs.

6. Grill until golden brown.

Serve with a watercress salad and crusty bread.

Source

The native or common oyster (Ostrea edulis) is a marine bivalve mollusc found in Scotland mainly on our west and north coasts. Its rough, irregularly shaped shell grows up to about 10cm across.

Native oysters live on the seabed in relatively shallow coastal waters and estuaries (from the lower shore to 80m). They prefer habitats sheltered from strong wave action, which tend to be muddy. Oysters also require shells, stones or another hard surface for larval settlement.

The native oyster may live up to 15 years, but six years is more usual. This active filter feeder takes plankton and particulate matter from the water column. Native oysters have an unusual life history: as an alternating hermaphrodite species, an animal may change sex many times during its life.

People have harvested or cultivated the native oyster for centuries. It once supported abundant fisheries in several parts of Scotland, most notably the Firth of Forth. At its peak, at the turn of the 19th century, this fishery produced 30 million oysters per year. Many of which were exported to England and even continental Europe.

This species has been recorded at locations around the whole of UK, from the Thames estuary to the Northern Isles.

Source