Oysters with Ponzu and Home Pickled Ginger

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the pickled ginger:

1/4 cup/60 ml rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons/25 g sugar
2 teaspoons/7 g salt
6 ounces/170 g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced paper-thin on a Japanese mandoline

For the oysters:

Crushed ice
24 freshly shucked oysters
1/2 cup/115 ml ponzu sauce
24 fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Method:

To make the pickled ginger:

Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Place the ginger in a bowl.

Pour the boiling vinegar mixture over the ginger. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the mixture is room temperature, about 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture is cold, about 1 hour.

To serve the oysters:

Cover a serving platter with the crushed ice.  Arrange the shucked oysters on top of the crushed ice. Place a small piece of pickled ginger over each oyster.

Spoon 1 teaspoon/5 ml of ponzu sauce over each oyster. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve immediately. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pickled ginger for another use.