We'd like to say: 'An oyster a day, keeps sadness at bay' – that's how happy eating oysters can make you, because they're just that delicious. Where do you find them, since when have we been eating these shellfish and above all: how? Summum dives into the mood food.
About an hour's drive from Bordeaux lies the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula, with twelve small villages and the town of Cap Ferret in the south. This is where oyster-farming culture – ostréiculture – has been raised to its highest form. The moment you arrive, visit the lighthouse and settle onto a sunny terrace with a glass of Bordeaux, the oyster feast begins, with oysters served alongside every drink.
Lège-Cap-Ferret sits within the Bay of Arcachon, an ideal spot for oyster farming. Thanks to the mineral-rich water and unique tidal pattern, the quality and flavour are unrivalled. At La Cabane du Mimbeau you'll savour the fresh harvest with wine from Bordeaux. An unforgettable experience and the perfect summer ritual.
Here, oyster-farming culture
– ostréiculture – reaches its peak
The oyster has existed since the early Triassic, some 200 million years ago, and has been eaten by humans since prehistory, roughly 11,000 BC. When people first prised open the shell and tasted what was inside, it turned out to be an ideal source of protein – and utterly delicious. The Romans thought so too.
The European oyster – the (Zeeland) flat oyster – is known in Latin as ostrea edulis (edible). Countless oyster shells have been found around houses and villas from antiquity, from the Mediterranean to Great Britain, and recipes have also survived. Apicius served oysters with a herb mayonnaise and fish sauce; the Romans probably ate them more often cooked, but they were considered a delicacy.
Although the oyster remained popular at the French court and among the nobility, it later also became a cheap, protein-rich food for workers in American cities. From the eighteenth century onwards, baby oysters were transported en masse and grown on in city basins, with a harvest of 700 million oysters recorded in New York in 1880.
wild oysters and oyster farms
The Romans were already farming oysters in basins and trading them across the empire, but later they were mostly 'picked' from the wild. As their popularity grew, natural stocks were depleted and the flat oyster all but disappeared. After a Portuguese ship was wrecked, oysters took hold in French waters, notably around the Gironde, and by around 1920 this species had taken over the Atlantic coast and Brittany.
Although the oyster is strongly associated with France, it is popular worldwide and is farmed in more than 52 countries. The French oyster is regarded as the ultimate luxury. After disease struck the Portuguese oyster, the Japanese oyster – the creuse – emerged and has grown into the most widely farmed shellfish species in the world.
the spot shapes the flavour
Everyone knows terroir: the influence of soil and surroundings on wine. The oyster has its own equivalent: merroir. Climate, seabed, water, tides and farming methods shape flavour, quality, texture and size.
Because oysters filter water, salinity influences taste: the saltier the water, the brinier the oyster. Brackish-water oysters are milder and sweeter. Minerals such as calcium give a thicker shell and a fresher flavour. Algae bring variety in taste, from crisp to buttery or nutty.
Water temperature determines structure and size: cold makes them firmer, warm makes them larger. Strong tidal currents build muscle, producing a meaty, firm oyster.
how do I eat an oyster?
To open an oyster, wrap it in a tea towel with the hinge of the shell facing outwards. Slide an oyster knife into the hinge and twist until the shell pops open. Run the knife along the top of the shell to sever the adductor muscle, lift off the top and cut the muscle underneath to release the flesh. If you're eating them raw, don't throw the liquor away – it's pure liquid flavour.
Oysters are wonderful raw, but you can also throw them on the barbecue. Summum shares three tasty ways to prepare them.
PURE AND CLASSIC: RAW OYSTERS WITH MIGNONETTE
For a dozen oysters, mix 2 tablespoons of (very) finely chopped shallots with 250 ml red-wine vinegar and 250 ml dry white wine. Spoon over the raw oysters for a pure, briny oyster experience.
LAVISHLY FRENCH: OYSTERS GRATINÉED WITH CHAMPAGNE
For 18 oysters (opened and loosened, liquor reserved). Pour 300 ml of champagne into a small saucepan and add 2 finely chopped shallots. Reduce for 5 to 8 minutes until the liquid has halved. Add the reserved oyster liquor and 300 ml of double cream. Season with white pepper and let it simmer gently until the sauce has reduced by half again. Preheat the oven grill and arrange the oysters in their shells on a tray (use scrunched-up aluminium foil if they won't sit steadily). Spoon the cream sauce over the shells and grill for about 3 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Let them cool for a few minutes and sprinkle with finely chopped chives.
SUMMERY AND QUICK: À LA MINUTE BBQ OYSTERS
Pay attention to the size of the oyster; the slightly larger type (number #0 or #1) works best. On an open barbecue, aim for a temperature of 250 to 300°C with white-hot coals but no flames. Place the whole, closed oyster flat-side down on the grill for 1 minute, turn onto the rounded side and wait until it hisses or pops open. Use a heat-resistant glove to lift the oyster off the grill and finish opening it. If the flesh isn't quite free of the shell, give it a little help. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and black pepper.
