Chef Anita Lo of annisa – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 4 Appetizer Servings

Ingredients:

Raw oysters in beet soup:

• ½ cup dashi
• ¼ cup beet juice
• Sugar, to taste
• White soy, to taste
• 4 oysters, shucked
• Scallions, julienned, for garnish
  
  Fried oysters with celery root slaw:
• ½ cup fresh horseradish, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 cup crème fraiche
• Lemon zest and lemon juice, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ cup celery root, peeled and julienned
• 1 Tablespoon chives, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 8 oysters, shucked (larger ones, such as Malpeques, are good for cooking)
  
  Oysters in potato cups with cream sauce:
• 8 oysters, shucked (larger ones, such as Malpeques, are good for cooking)
• 2 large German Butterball potatoes, halved, scooped out to form a cup, and blanched
• 3 Tablespoons white wine
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons truffle butter
• Fines herbes, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Lemon, to taste

Method:
For beet soup:
Mix the dashi and beet juice and season to taste with sugar and white soy. Reserve.

For celery root slaw:
Place the horseradish in a food processor and chop until fine. Mix with the crème fraiche and steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain and discard solids and season to taste with lemon juice and lemon zest. Season the celery root with salt and pepper and dress with the horseradish crème fraiche and chives.

For fried oysters:
Preheat a pot of oil or a deep fryer to 375°F. Mix the egg and milk. Dredge the oysters in the egg and milk mixture then in seasoned flour and deep fry until golden. Drain on a paper towel.

For cream sauce:
Place the white wine in a sauté pan and bring to a boil. Add 8 of the oysters with their liquor and cook briefly. Remove oysters with a slotted spoon and reduce the remaining liquid. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Whisk in the truffle butter and season to taste with salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.

To assemble:
Divide the beet soup among 4 shooter cups or 4 large shot glasses and add 1 oyster to each. Top with a pinch of scallion.

Divide the celery root slaw among 4 plates and top with 2 fried oysters each.

Reheat the poached oysters in the truffle cream with a pinch of fines herbes. Reheat the potato cups in a warm oven or steamer. Fill each cup with a little sauce and 2 cooked oysters. Serve immediately.

Wine pairing:
A crisp, fruity white wine such as the Fefinanes Albarino 2003 from Galicia, Spain.