LOCAL HEROES

Martin Bosley shares his serving suggestions for flinty, fabulous oysters from the Matakana region

If you know Martin Bosley, you know that you cannot argue with him about oysters in any way, shape or form, because he is THE man when it comes to choosing, eating, shucking, preparing or eating the New Zealand oyster. In celebration of our trip to Matakana on page 140 with food writer and NZ artisan-food champion Lauraine Jacobs, Martin presents his tribute to some of the phenomenal food producers of Matakana with these local artisan-inspired toppings for fresh, plump and succulent Mahurangi Oysters. With a creamy, salty bite, they are lovingly grown by a family-run business in a pristine, unspoilt corner of the Mahurangi Harbour. Low in calories and yet loaded with nutrients – including protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals – what’s not to love?

MAHURANGI OYSTERS IN KOMBUCHA BATTER WITH KIMCHI MAYO

MAKES 2 DOZEN / PREPARATION 5 MINUTES PLUS 30 MINUTES RESTING / COOKING 15-30 MINUTES

Hand-raised in the unspoilt waters of Mahurangi Harbour, these oysters are firm to the bite with sweet, clean rockmelon flavours and just a hint of creaminess. With oysters, I prefer my batter barely there – a crisp coating that is easily shattered. The batter is enough for 2 dozen oysters.

KOMBUCHA BATTER

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup cornflour splash of oil (this gives your batter

a lovely shine) pinch salt

350ml Daily Organics kombucha

24 oysters oil for deep-frying flour for dredging 100g kimchi

300g Japanese mayonnaise

Mix all the batter ingredients together lightly then pour through a fine sieve. Set aside for 30 minutes and keep cold (refrigerate) until ready to use.

Heat the oil to 180˚C (a few droplets of batter should turn golden in a few seconds). Dredge the oysters in the flour then dip them into the batter.

Using tongs, lower the oyers into the hot oil and leave them to fry for a couple of minutes, until the batter starts to turn gold (you may need to do this in batches). Lift them carefully onto a plate lined with absorbent kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.

Purée the kimchi in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise and whisk together.

Serve battered oysters with kimchi mayo on the side.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR JELLY

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 2 DOZEN OYSTERS / PREPARATION 5 MINUTES PLUS CHILLING / COOKING 5 MINUTES

Briny oysters with vinegar jelly is an ideal start to any meal.

250ml Daily Organics apple cider vinegar 125ml water

60g sugar

4 leaves gelatine micro herbs, to serve

Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze the excess water from the leaves. Add the leaves to the saucepan and stir to dissolve over a low heat. Pour into a shallow container and chill for 4 hours until firmly set.

Cut the jelly into cubes and put on top of the oysters. Garnish with micro herbs.