Ice On Oysters: 5 Cool Recipes To Top Your Shellfish
Kaitlyn Thornton•
When Portland, Maine, chef Andrew Taylor and his partners opened Eventide Oyster Co., they were already raising some eyebrows. Oysters in a lobster town? The concept was risky, but Taylor and his team expertly utilized Portland's bountiful harbor to create a menu that highlights the best of Maine's waters...with a twist. Their lobster roll eschews the traditional split-top bun, the chowders are mounted with coconut milk and curry instead of cream and butter, and the crudos are topped with pickled vegetables and crispy wontons. As for the oysters, you won't find the obligatory mignonette and cocktail sauces on the menu.
Eventide's savory ices are a fun and refreshing take on classic shellfish accoutrements. Essentially fancy snow cones or granitas, they are a texturally pleasing contrast to the creaminess of an oyster. By using liquid concentrates made in-house at the restaurant, the ices are packed with deep umami flavor and zero flavor dilution. Plus, they're super-easy to make at home. All you need is a sheet pan, a fork and a freezer to make the world, well, your oyster.
Kimchi Ice
"On an intellectual level, we love this ice because of the historical connection between kimchi and oysters. Many traditional Korean recipes for kimchi call for raw oysters to help start the fermentation process," says Taylor. "While we don't add oysters to the kimchi, we like to add kimchi to the oysters. In lieu of making your own kimchi, you can also buy your favorite brand and strain off the liquid."
For the kimchi:
1 head green cabbage
2 carrots
1 large daikon radish
6 quarts water
Heaping 3/4 cups kosher salt
2 cups garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 cups ginger, roughly chopped
1 cup jalapeño, roughly chopped
1 cup scallion, roughly chopped
1 cup fish sauce
1 cup light soy
1 cup gochujang
Method:
Heat salt and water and stir well until all salt is dissolved to create the brine. Cool in refrigerator in a sterilized container.
Slice cabbage to ½-inch thickness. Grate carrot and daikon on thickest portion of grater.
Add cabbage, carrot and daikon to the brine.
Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and process to a paste. Add to the brine. Stir well with sterilized utensil.
Insert a tight-fitting plate or a well-sealed zip-top bag full of water to keep the vegetables below the surface of the brine.
Cover with cheesecloth and leave out at room temperature for 5 days until well-fermented.
Strain off kimchi liquid.
Put liquid in a wide and shallow container and freeze.
When thoroughly frozen, scrape with a fork to create a shaved ice.
Pickled Red Onion Ice
For the Pickled Red Onions:
1 red onion
4 cups water
2 cups rice wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Method:
Shave red onion thinly on a Japanese mandoline and place in container large enough to hold all ingredients.
Combine water, sugar, vinegar and salt in pan and heat to boil.
Pour boiling pickle liquid over shaved red onion, press onions below surface of liquid and let cool at room temperature.
Once at room temperature, place in refrigerator to cool completely.
For the Ice:
1 recipe pickled red onion
Method:
Strain off liquid from pickled red onions.
Put liquid in a wide and shallow container and freeze.
When thoroughly frozen, scrape with a fork to create a shaved ice.
Horseradish ice
Heaping 1 cup prepared horseradish
Scant 1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/3 cup simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar, heated until syrup)
1 cup water
Method:
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend thoroughly.
Strain into a wide and shallow container and freeze.
When thoroughly frozen, scrape with a fork to create a shaved ice.
Tabasco Ice
Scant 2 cups Tabasco
1/2 cup simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar, heated until syrup)
3 cups water
Method:
Combine all ingredients and mix well
Put liquid in a wide and shallow container and freeze.
When thoroughly frozen, scrape with a fork to create a shaved ice.
