Ember baked oysters

Ingredients:

• 4 Oysters

• Knob of butter

• 1 tsp finely chopped parsley

• 1 tsp fennel seeds (freshly ground)

• 1 tsp finely chopped wild garlic (or 1 garlic clove)

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, fennel & garlic.

Shuk the Oysters, discarding the flat pieces of shell. Add 1 teaspoon of the garlic butter to each shell.

Carefully place the Oyster shells onto hot embers and leave to cook for 3-4 minutes.

Remove the hot shells from the embers and serve immediately.

Osterhlafas (Oyster loaf)

Ingredients:

• 1 large loaf of bread

• Large knob of butter

• 1/2 cup of white wine

• 1/2 a cup of water

• 12 Oysters (cleaned and shucked)

• 1/2 cup beef (cut into small pieces)

• 1 tablespoon of suet

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 tsp Parsley

• Salt & Pepper

Method:

Cut a ‘lid’ from the top of the loaf and scoop out the insides of the loaf, to make a bowl. Retain half the bread filling and break into small pieces.

Melt the butter in a pan and add the bread pieces, along with the wine and the water. Heat gently while squashing the bread pieces with a spoon to further break them up.

Bring to a simmer and add the beef and suet. Simmer for around 5 minutes. Add the oysters (including their liquid) and simmer for a few minutes.

Stir in the egg yolks, parsley and season with salt & pepper.

Pour the mixture into the hollow loaf and pop the bread ‘lid’ back on.

Put the loaves into a pre heated oven at 160 degrees Celsius, and bake for around 20 -25 minutes, until the filling has set.

Serve by slicing into think cuts.