Briny, juicy oysters are great with sweet-salty Spanish ham, and offset with nutty buckwheat and pickled cucumbers.
100g/3½oz caster sugar
100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar
pinch of salt
50ml/2fl oz water
75g/2½oz Velvet Pioppini mushrooms
50ml/2fl oz grapeseed oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
½ cucumber
100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
2 rashers unsmoked bacon, finely chopped
4-6 tbsp buckwheat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 free-range egg
20ml/1fl oz white wine vinegar
pinch of salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
250ml/9fl oz grapeseed oil
12 native oysters, shucked
50g/2oz Iberico ham
small nasturtium leaves
For the pickled mushrooms, place the sugar, vinegar, salt and the water into a non-reactive saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the oil and divide the pickling liquid between two bowls.
Place the mushrooms and soy sauce into one bowl of pickling liquid, mixing well to coat, then reserve the other bowl for the cucumber.
For the cucumber, peel and thinly slice half the cucumber and set aside for serving. With the other half, scoop out the seeds, slice and place into the bowl of pickling liquid. Set aside.
For the toasted buckwheat, pour the oil into a frying pan, add the buckwheat and the chopped bacon and fry until the bacon and buckwheat are golden-brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the vinegar aioli, place the egg, vinegar, salt and garlic into a small food processor and blend to combine. Then, with the motor running, slowly pour in the grapeseed oil until the mixture thickens and emulsifies. Season to taste with more vinegar or garlic, if necessary.
To serve, place slices of cucumber on one side of each serving plate and top with the pickled cucumber and pickled mushrooms. Swipe a spoonful of vinegar aioli on the other side, then place three shucked oysters on each plate. Spoon the toasted buckwheat and bacon alongside, then garnish with the Iberico ham and nasturtium leaves.
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