CHINESE BEER-BATTERED TEMPURA OYSTERS

Oysters, which were once plentiful and cheap, are now considered a luxury food – a delicacy even – and some would say, ‘sophisticated’. Many shudder at the thought of eating these raw and I personally don’t blame them. But lightly battered, deep-fried and served with a tasty dip, these work for me every time.

12 raw oysters in their shells (see tip below)

200ml (¾ cup) Chinese rice beer, chilled

85g (⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus a little extra for dusting

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Wasabi Mayo or your favourite dipping sauce

From the store cupboard

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

oil for deep-frying

Tip

Ask your local fishmonger to shuck your oysters for you, but remember to ask for the shells.

If shucking at home, this can be done using a sharp knife or, for safety, a teaspoon handle, holding the oyster in a tea towel as the shells can be sharp.

Remove the oysters from their shells and individually pat dry with kitchen paper. Wash and dry the empty shells and place both to one side.

Pour the beer into a large bowl, sift in the flour and carefully stir with a pair of chopsticks. It is very important that you do not over-whisk. It is fine to have small lumps of flour in the batter. Add the salt and sugar and gently stir into the batter.

Pour enough oil into a heavy-based saucepan to come at least 8cm (3in) up the sides and heat to 180°C (350°F).

Dust the oysters in some extra flour, bang off any excess, then dip into the beer batter and allow the excess to drip off. Carefully drop the oysters, in batches of 6 (so as to not overcrowd the pan), into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Drain on a wire rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Place the drained oysters back into their shells and arrange on a serving plate along with the wedges of lemon and wasabi mayo.