The bank machine took my card today because I had a senior moment and transposed the code numbers. Guess what? It’s a holiday here (Assumption) and the bank is closed until tomorrow. Unfazed, I went home, got Jade, another card and decided to sooth my rankled nerves by going to the fish market which was open on the holiday.
We saw Roger’s oysters http://stowell.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/an-oyster-as-big-as-the-ritz/ and decided that a few of those would go down just right for lunch. The fish monger was in high form. He first asked if I wanted him to put those in a jar also http://atomic-temporary-17826715.wpcomstaging.com/2011/05/21/oysters-two-ways-kaki-furai-and-baked-with-garlic-and-parsley/ and then began to extol the virtues of tarbouriech oysters that he just happened to have fresh on hand. Tarbouriech are also called pink oysters.
We bought the tarbouriech and with eyes as big as tractor tires, we continued to gaze at the lovely fruits de mer, wanting everything!
Long story short, in addition to the oysters, we bought 4 black tiger gambas and a dozen amandes clams. The Brits call the amandes clams, dog-cockles. I’m not laughing at you Roger but with you!
What a feast we had!
I made chilli butter for the clams and a parsley-garlic butter for the oysters. The gambas were marinated in olive oil, honey and piment espelette instead of paprika. All were grilled until the clams and oysters bubbled in their spiced butter filled shells and the gambas turned an appetizing red.
Chilli Butter
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp Vietnamese garlic chili sauce, the one with the seeds
Blend the butter with the chili sauce in a food processor. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Garlic Parsley Butter
1/3 cup of butter
2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Refrigerate until ready to use.
These are simply stunning.
Thank you Greg.
Bottom pic and third pic up from the bottom are real photography. A Frenchman must have said “dog cockles” which must have involved a misheard nuance of Cockney English which I’m trying to fathom – stop there, Roger. I’ve just googled it , and apparently we do say “dog cockles”. For my part, I’m sticking with Amandes.
I agree about the photos. I submitted them to foodgazing and they rejected them both. I submitted the inferior ones and they accepted them both. Dog cockles!
Great looking dishes!!! Your pictures are stunning!! Today is also a holiday in Italy – “l’Assunzione”. but I guess we aren’t lucky enough to find a fish market nearby in Rome!!
Thank you Ambrosiana. I’m right in the center of town and everything is just a 5 minute walk away.
It’s wonderful the way you can take an ugly creature from under the sea and make such a beautiful dish. That’s what I call great photography.
Now, now Karen, those creatures are beautiful, just in a different way 🙂
Those oysters look amazing! But I have to tell you, I would never have thought of pairing chili paste and butter… That is a brilliant combination.
Thank you Tessa. I was thinking of a spicy Thai like taste and that’s what I came up with. Butter with fresh chopped chillies would have been great but I didn’t have any and stores were closed for the holiday.
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