Name: Oysters with gazpacho
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 8-12
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 500g ripe red tomatoes; 100g Lebanese cucumber,peeled; 100g deseeded light-green or yellow capsicum; 50g peeled white onion; 1 small garlic clove,peeled and grated; 1 tsp fine sea salt; 25ml sherry vinegar; ¼ cup best-quality,fruity,extra virgin olive oil,plus more to serve; 2 dozen of your favourite oysters; Aleppo or Korean chilli flakes (optional)

Serve the gazpacho dressing ice-cold. William Meppem

easyTime:<30 minsServes:8-12

Oysters are an Australian Christmas staple,but sometimes you want something more festive than the usual lemon or mignonette. If that’s the case,this bright-red,vinegar-spiked gazpacho is a perfect accompaniment. Serve your oysters ice-cold and you’ll begin the meal feeling light,refreshed and ready to indulge.

Ingredients

500g ripe red tomatoes
100g Lebanese cucumber,peeled
100g deseeded light-green or yellow capsicum
50g peeled white onion
1 small garlic clove,peeled and grated
1 tsp fine sea salt
25ml sherry vinegar
¼ cup best-quality,fruity,extra virgin olive oil,plus more to serve
2 dozen of your favourite oysters
Aleppo or Korean chilli flakes (optional)

Method

Step1
Roughly chop the tomatoes,discarding the stems,and combine in a blender – or in a jug,if using a hand-held blender – with the cucumber,capsicum,onion and garlic. Add the fine sea salt. Blend on high for about a minute before adding the vinegar and slowly pouring in the olive oil while the machine runs.
Step2
Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or jug and pour the pureed contents of the blender into it,pushing the soup through the mesh with a spatula. Discard the pulp,cover the bowl tightly and chill the gazpacho for at least 6 hours or overnight. It may thicken a little overnight,but it can be thinned out the following day with an extra splash of vinegar or ice water. You want a consistency that’s similar to pure cream.
Step3
Arrange the opened oysters on a platter of ice. Keep the gazpacho ice-cold until the moment of serving. When ready,pour the gazpacho into a jug and pour a little over each oyster in the shell. Garnish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of chilli flakes,if using. Serve the extra gazpacho on the side.