Fresh oysters with sauce pauvre homme

Ingredients

12 oysters (Claires, but you can use any)

For the sauce (Pauvre Homme):
150ml/5fl oz red wine
65ml/2½fl oz port
30ml/1fl oz red wine vinegar
½ bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 banana shallot, chopped
1 tsp chives, chopped

To serve with the oysters:
brown bread and butter
2 x ½ lemon, in muslin

For this recipe you will need an oyster knife and a large presentation platter.

Method

To make the oysters:
1. Open the oysters carefully with an oyster knife and remove from the shell. Place them into a bowl with the juices.
2. Wash the shells under cold water and dry.
3. Place the oysters back into the shell.
4. Strain the juices through a fine sieve and pour back over the oysters.

To make the sauce (Pauvre Homme):
1. Place the red wine vinegar, bay leaf and thyme into a pan and reduce until almost all the contents are evaporated.
2. Add the port and reduce again until it forms a sticky syrup.
3. Add the red wine and bring to the boil then immediately remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. To finish the sauce add the chopped shallots and chopped chives.

To Serve
Lay the oysters, in their shells, on a platter with crushed ice. Serve the sauce, lemon, brown bread and butter on the side.