Oysters With Creme Fraiche Lemon And Tarragon Food

RAW OYSTERS WITH SMOKED SALMON AND CAVIAR CREAM

Steps:

• In a bowl mix together the creme fraiche, heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of the caviar, lemon juice, and chopped chervil or dill. Refrigerate the sauce for 1 to 2 hours before using.
• Just before serving, cut the salmon into 12 pieces; they should be large enough to wrap the oysters into roughly square little packets. Wrap the oysters.
• Divide the cream sauce among the serving plates, creating a pool of sauce at the center of each plate.
• Divide the wrapped oysters among the plates, arranging them on the sauce pools. Garnish each packet with a generous 1/4 teaspoon of caviar and a chervil or dill sprig.

PHYLLO CRISP OYSTERS WITH REMOULADE

Steps:

• Make the Remoulade: Remove the shell from the egg, and chop it or run it through the large holes of a box grater. Whip the creme fraiche to medium peaks and add the egg, chives, capers, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the Oysters: Mix the water into the tempura flour and refrigerate. Shuck the oysters and set aside. Reserve half of the shells for presentation and scrub them clean. On a clean work surface, lay out the shredded phyllo.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized pot to 350 degrees F. (To check without a thermometer, drop a small amount of the tempura batter into the oil--it should sizzle quickly rise to the surface.) Adjust the burner to keep the temperature constant.
• Working with 1 oyster at a time, dredge in flour, dip in the tempura mix, and then roll around in the shredded phyllo to completely cover. Fry the oysters, turning them occasionally with a fork, until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
• On a tray large enough to accommodate all of the oysters, form a bed of rock salt, peppercorns, and seaweed. Place the cleaned shells on the tray, spoon a dollop of the remoulade into each one, and top with an oyster.