Oyster force

The first thing to face is the fact that cooking an oyster is almost seen as a crime. We can blame the Monday Special – oysters kilpatrick that have been open a day too long and are hiding out with a bacon accomplice.

But when done with consideration, cooking can be a great way to show the oyster’s flavour. In winter, especially, oysters tend to have more of a muscle, and rock oysters can be treated almost like clams to show this off.

The seasons of oysters work counterintuitively. Everyone imagines oysters are at their best in the height of summer, eaten on a beach with a glass of champagne. In my view, oysters are at their best when the water is at its coldest. Some people like the creaminess of a spawning oyster – which you get when the water warms up – but I like the purity of flavour from coldwater oysters.

This recipe uses smoked oysters in a Chinese-style chicken broth that riffs on the meatiness of the oyster. Next to this is one of my favourite things of all time – buttered cabbage and turnip – which gives it a bass note.

The broth is made using a double boiler. First the chicken wings are roasted, then I cut them to almost a mince, put them in a bowl, fill it with water, then set it over another pot to cook.

I like to leave the oysters as untouched as possible. I shuck them, release the flesh without flipping over the oyster, then tip out the water. If you leave the water in, • the oyster won’t absorb the flavour of the smoke.