Tempura Oysters with wakame salad, nori and wasabi

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

24 rock oysters, shucked 

vegetable oil, for deep-frying 

tapioca flour, for dusting 

1 quantity tempura batter (recipe below)

Rock salt, to serve

Wakame salad, to serve

1 sheet nori, thinly sliced

Wasabi dressing

1 tablespoon wasabi paste 

1 cup olive oil 

3 Tbsp sesame oil 

1 Tbsp soy sauce 

For the tempura batter

150 g tapioca flour

150 g rice flour

¼ cup ice cubes

1 lime, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup soda water

Method

For the wasabi dressing

Place the wasabi and 3 tablespoons hot water in a bowl and whisk until well combined. 

Mix together the olive oil, sesame oil and soy sauce, then slowly add to the bowl in a steady stream, whisking until emulsified — be careful not to add the mixture too fast or the dressing will separate. Set aside.

For the tempura batter

Combine the tapioca flour and rice flour in a bowl. Add ice cubes, lime juice, lemon juice and soda water, mixing with a fork to form a batter. Make just before using otherwise batter will become flat.

For the oysters

Remove the oysters from their shells and place the meat on a tray. Use paper towel to clean out the shells.

Two-thirds fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil. Heat to 170ºC (325ºF), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 20 seconds.

Dust the oysters lightly in extra tapioca flour, then dip them into the tempura batter and lightly coat them. Working in two batches, deep-fry the oysters for about 1 minute, until golden. Drain on paper towel.

To serve

Make a bed of rock salt on a serving platter. Arrange the oyster shells on top. Spoon a little wakame salad into the shells, then drizzle with the wasabi dressing. Place an oyster on top of each and garnish with sliced nori.