Sun Burst

About an hour’s drive from Bordeaux lies the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula. On it are 12 small villages and the town of Cap Ferret, at the very south. This is where oyster farming – ostréiculture – has reached its peak throughout history. Once you’ve arrived here, visited the charming lighthouse and settled down on a sunny terrace for a sparkling glass of Bordeaux wine, the big oyster party begins. Here, oysters are served with every drink, much like we would serve a bowl of peanuts at home.

Lège-Cap-Ferret is located in the Bay of Arcachon, traditionally an ideal location for oyster farming. Because the water here is rich in minerals and the bay has a unique tidal pattern, the quality and taste of the oysters are unprecedented. You can enjoy freshly caught oysters La Cabane du Mimbeau, an oyster hut next to the oyster breeding bed; accompanied by a nice Bordeaux wine, of course. An unforgettable experience and the perfect summer ritual.

As a species, the oyster has been around on our planet since the early Triassic period, some 200 million years ago. Humans have been eating this salty delicacy since prehistoric times, around 11,000 years BC. When humans opened that big shell and gobbled up its special contents, it turned out to be an ideal source of protein. And damn tasty too. The Romans thought likewise.

The European oyster – best known to us as the (Zeeland) flat oyster – has a telling name in Latin: ostrea (oyster) edulis (edible). Countless oyster shells have been found around houses and villas from ancient times, from the Mediterranean sea to Great Britain, and there are also known recipes. Apicius (first century AD) served his oysters with an herb mayonnaise and fish sauce – presumably the Romans preferred fried rather than raw oysters, but it was considered a delicacy in any case.

Even though the oyster remained popular later on at the French court and among the nobility – Louis XIV is known for his love of oysters avec champagne – the shellfish has not always held the same prestige. Later, it served as a cheap, easy-to-grow and process protein-rich food source for workers in major cities in the US. Baby oysters were transported en masse by train from the mid eighteenth century and bred in the city for a few years by having them attached in beds. Cultivation grew in New York to a harvest of 700 million oysters (!) in the year 1880.

The Romans were already cultivating oysters in beds and then trading them across the empire, but in the centuries that followed, oysters were basically ‘picked’ from the wild. With its growing popularity among the rich and famous, natural resources were slowly being depleted, leading to the almost complete disappearance of the flat oyster. By way of lucky accident, the shipwreck of a Portuguese vessel tipped its cargo of oysters overboard, and this species managed to nest in French waters, including around Gironde. Around 1920, the Portuguese oyster species took over the entire Atlantic coast and Brittany.

You may associate the oyster with France and Burgundian life, yet it is popular all over the world. The shellfish are farmed in over 52 countries, everywhere with their own character. Nevertheless, the French oyster has something very special; it is considered the ultimate luxury worldwide. After the Portuguese oyster battled a disease, a new species emerged: the Japanese oyster, or creuse. The dominance of this creuse makes it the most cultivated shellfish species in the world.

Everyone knows the term terroir: the role of the soil and environment that determines a wine’s flavour and character. The oyster has the honour of having a variant of this: the so-called merroir, a contraction of ‘mer’ (sea) and ‘terroir’. Climate, the composition of the sea or river bed and water, tidal patterns and the oyster farmer’s methods: all affect the oyster’s flavour, quality, texture and size.

Since oysters feed by filtering water and extracting microscopic food from it, the salinity of the water affects the flavour. The saltier the water, the saltier the oyster. Brackish water oysters are milder and sweeter. If the soil contains minerals such as lime, it will show in the thickness of the shell and the oyster will have a fresher taste. The algae the oyster feeds on can also give it its own flavour palette, from cucumber-fresh to buttery sweet or nutty.

The temperature of the water makes an oyster firmer (cold) or gigantic (warm), like many oysters in Thailand. If there is a brisk tidal current, the oyster automatically goes to the gym: muscle mass grows, producing a meaty, firm oyster.

To open an oyster, it is best to wrap it in a tea towel, the hinge of the shell facing outwards. Insert an oyster knife into the hinge and pry until the shell pops open. Slide the knife along the top side of the shell to cut the sphincter, remove the top and cut the muscle underneath to loosen the meat. Do not throw away the oyster liquor if you are going to eat them raw; this is a flavour bomb pure and simple.

PURE AND CLASSIC: RAW OYSTERS WITH MIGNONETTE
For a dozen oysters, mix 2 tablespoons (very) finely chopped shallots, 250 ml red wine vinegar and 250 ml dry white wine. Drizzle over the raw oysters for a pure, salty oyster experience.

SUMPTUOUS FRENCH: OYSTERS AU GRATIN WITH CHAMPAGNE
For 18 oysters (open and dislodged, liquor collected separately). Pour 300 ml of champagne into a small sauce pan, add 2 finely chopped shallots. Simmer for 5 to 8 min until the liquor is reduced by half. Add the oyster liquor and 300 ml of full cream. Season with white pepper and simmer gently until the sauce has further reduced by half. Preheat the oven grill and spread the oysters in their shells on a tray (use propped-up aluminium foil if they do not remain stable). Spread the cream sauce over the shells and grill for about 3 minutes until golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Let cool for a few minutes and sprinkle with chopped chives.

SUMMERY AND FAST: BBQ OYSTERS À LA MINUTE
Pay attention to the size of the oyster here; preferably the slightly larger type (number #0 or #1). On an open barbecue, ensure a temperature of 250 to 300°C and white-hot coals, but no flames. Place the whole, closed oyster with its flat side down on the grill for 1 min, flip over to the convex side and wait for it to hiss or crack open. Use a heat-resistant glove to remove the oyster from the grill and open it further. If it has not yet detached from the shell, give it a hand. Serve with a drizzle of lemon juice and black pepper.