It’s said that “the world is your oyster.” Which is as good an excuse as any to have fun with your oyster pairings, since anyone can squeeze a lemon over raw oysters. Armed with a Foodpairing® pearl of wisdom that these slippery bivalves contain a number of green, coconut-scented compounds, you’ll see that suddenly a whole world of potential ingredient combinations opens up! Taste for yourself in this recipe for oysters with lychee, rose and coconut crème.
Oysters and lychee
Coconut, lychee and rose petals may seem like an unlikely pairing for oysters in a half shell, but you’ll be surprised. Lychee are a perfect accent for oysters in a half shell, with their delicate texture and tart sweetness. Oysters share a citrusy, vegetal-mushroom aromatic link to these fragrant Chinese fruits, which are also prized for their lovely floral, rose scent. Just finish with a drizzle of coconut crème and a rose petal or two. 
Oysters with lychee, rose and coconut crème
Makes 4 servings
Coconut crème
preparation
- 100 g coconut cream
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 g guar gum
In a small bowl, mix the coconut cream with lemon juice and guar gum. Transfer the coconut crème to the refrigerator until ready to use.
Oysters with lychee, rose and coconut crème
preparation
- 4 raw oysters on a half shell
- 2 lychees, peeled and pitted
- coconut crème (recipe above)
- 4 fresh rose petals
Scrub the outside of the oyster shells thoroughly. Then carefully shuck the oysters to loosen them from their shells. Clean the oysters and return them to their bottom shells. Reserve and set aside.
Next, peel and pit the lychees, then quarter them. Reserve and set aside.
Using a spoon, drizzle some of the coconut crème over the oyster and its half shell. Garnish with one of the lychee segments and a fresh rose petal. Serve immediately.
