Oyster leaf. Sea bluebells. Oysterplant. Mertensia maritima. This special plant has plenty of names, but it’s truly one of a kind. Here, Chef Jamie Simpson celebrates its uniqueness and fresh oceanic flavor by presenting it in three creative ways.
At the Bar: Fried Oyster Po' Boy
Fried oysters are definitely a thing—and have been for quite a while. Here, the po' boy consists of oyster leaf, celery, mayo, capers, and oyster bloom. This is an easy bar snack to make and offer. The only other ingredient needed? Serve it with beer!
Fine Dining: Oyster Leaf
(Photo credit: Yossy Areif)
Drink in the beauty of this single oyster leaf as presented in our book, The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables—with Recipes.
Country Club Dining: Seafood Boil
We tend to serve seafood with halophytes: foraged, salt tolerant ingredients like cactus, juniper, fennel, sea beans, and mussels. That just makes sense, right? It does make Chef Jamie wonder, though, about what unusual or unexpected pairings might be worth trying. Watermelon? Martini? Chocolate? Cucumber?
More About Oyster Leaf This idiosyncratic plant looks like an herb and tastes like an oyster. Succulent and tender, an oyster leaf is medium green and oblong on a light green stem. They’re also available at The Chef’s Garden with small clusters of pale blue flowers that give oyster leaf with bloom the poetic name of sea bluebells.
We hope you enjoyed this installment of plating food techniques!
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