Oysters On The Half Shell With Tomato And Cucumber Relish, And Lemon Oil

Directions

1. Peel and remove the rind, and cut into julienne. In a heavy saucepan, bring the oil to a simmer. Add in the julienne lemon rind and simmer for about 7 to 10 min. Remove from heat and allow the oil to infuse for one hour.
2. Place in an airtight container and chill overnight. The next day, strain through fine sieve or possibly cheesecloth.
3. Oysters And Marinade:Open the oysters in the half-shell. In a non-reactive dish, place the whole oysters in a single layer, cover with plastic wrap and chill till ready to prepare. Throw away the top shells and rinse and save the bottoms.
4. Heat 1/3 c. of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in the shallots and fennel; cook till softened, approximately two min. Stir in the remaining oil plus vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and pour over the raw oysters, spreading the shallots and fennel proportionately over the top. Let cold, then cover and chill for four hrs.
5. Tomato And Cucumber Relish:In a small bowl combine the cucumber, tomato, vinegar, Mirin, sugar, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to marinate for three hrs. Just before serving, remove oysters from the marinade and place each oyster in one of the reserved shells.
6. To Serve:Arrange 4 to 6 oysters on each serving plate. Place a little crushed ice or possibly rock salt underneath to stop the shells from sliding. Spoon a little of each mix into different oysters to make an assortment on each plate. Garnish tomato and cucumber relish oysters with cilantro leaves.