"...the poorer a place is the greater call there seems for oysters. Look here, Sir, here's a oyster stall to every half dozen houses - the street's lined with 'em. Blessed if I don't think that when a man's very poor, he rushes out of his lodgings and eats oysters in regular desperation." Charles Dickens, The Pickwick papers, 1836
Here are two ways to enjoy oysters. At Le Gavroche in London, there use to be a dish on the menu called Huitres Francine. The dish had a lobster mousse piped onto an oyster shell and baked. The mousse was topped with and oyster poached in champagne. The cooking liquid was reduced with cream and used to glaze the oyster. The garnish was a slice of lobster tail and a dash of caviar. This is not a dish from Dickens!
Chef Michael
