Oysters So-Men Love

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Who loves oysters?

 
Who doesn’t! 

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	My new love is oysters: Until recently, I never ate them (except for canned and smoked), but if I could I would now seek out my new paramour in cities, towns, villages… on coasts around the world, then the world would be (so to speak) my oyster. Mine is a case of oyster tastes on a tilapia budget so I must content myself with the oysters I can buy at my local grocery store. The ugly, delectable, addictive little beasts! “He was a bold man that first eat an oyster.” ~Jonathan Swift
	I still dearly love my noodles, so for a meal of utmost indulgence I determined to combine the two. One of my favorite summer summer meals is hyashi chuka soba, which combines noodles with vegetables and meat and a light chicken stock flavored with soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger. Oysters are delicately sweet but sesame oil, ginger, and soy sauce are strong dark flavors. Instead I reserved the liquid the oysters came with, made a very light dashi, added a spoonful of sweet miso, and used sweet corn, sweet peas, and tender spring onions.
	I first made this meal for me alone: Mr. Tess was working out of town to keep the roof over our heads. Having enjoyed it so much myself, I prepared it especially for him when he returned. (Whether it is the distance, or the oysters, which makes the heart grow fonder, —I cannot say.)
	Oysters with Somen and Vegetables serves 2 (or 3 to 4 if you are not greedy)
	Broth ¼ cup mirin (sweet cooking wine) 1 ½ cup dashi ½ Tablespoons komezu (rice vinegar) strained liquid from the oysters 1 Tablespoon sweet miso Combine the above ingredients, except the miso in a pot large enough for the oysters and vegetables.
	Toppings ½ ear of corn, kernels cut from the cob 2 or 3 mini sweet red and orange peppers (optional), sliced into 1-inch pieces and lightly stir-fried 16 to 18 sugar snap peas, strings pulled off and blanched 4 spring onions, whites cut into 1-inch pieces, greens sliced into fine rings 2 8-ounce jars of oysters, drained (reserve liquid), and washed
	Noodles 2 bundles of somen (thin wheat Japanese noodles) a pot of boiling water a bowl, colander, and cold water to rinse the somen Cook the somen according to package directions. Rinse well, several times in cold water. Arrange small bundles of swirled noodles in serving bowls so diners can easily use chopsticks to pick up portions of somen easily.
	Cooking Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sweet peppers, peas, white onion slices, and washed oysters. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the spoonful of sweet miso. Chill in the freezer.
	Serving Pour the chilled broth over the noodle bundles. (Deep bowls make it easier to sip the broth; if you use shallow rimmed bowls, provide a spoon.) Divide the oysters among the bowls, arrange the pea pods attractively, and top with the remaining vegetables and green onions.
	“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

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Tags: oysters, summer recipe