Warm oysters with green apple gelatin

Zuberoa
Chef: Hilario Arbelaitz
Country: Spain
City: Oiartzun (Guipúzcoa)
Address: B. Iturriotz. Beheko Zoro Plaza, 1
(+34) 943491228

Zuberoa has numerous specialities: foie gras, lobster, snout, mashed potatoes—one of a kind, served as a side with various meats—and oysters. Oysters have never been absent from the menu, including various forms in which they have been offered in pairs as a complementary alternative. They have always had clever recipes in which their rawness is presented in two ways, cold and warm; this preserves the nature and texture of the shellfish, which at a warm temperature augments its flavor without ever transforming the idiosyncrasies in flavor and texture of the product in pure state.
One formula after another with the same philosophy is a great accomplishment and, above all, a testament to a great conviction of what is best for this ingredient. This recipe, which might appear simple at first, succeeds in raising the oysters to their highest level of expression. This is as much for its neatness as for the enhancement given by the temperature, factors which stand out even more because of the small details that make all the difference and subtly elevate the product.
This formula is essential for the few components used as well as the brilliant qualities it brings to the table. The apple gelatin provides this touch of grace—it is like a new ceviche, with the sweet and sour accents in the fruit acting to brilliantly highlight its contrasts and freshness. It is the classical touch of lemon seen from an unabashedly insightful point of view. And its additional details, when mixed with the oyster’s water, add aroma and provide the imprint that makes minimalism the highest form of expression.



The Recipe