The package came in the mail just before the holidays. It contained the Albaret Family's Estate Bottled White along with a detailed set of instructions from Anthony on how to enjoy it. Oysters simply prepared with a selection of sauces and a properly chilled bottle of white wine marked the first encounter with Languedoc.
The first taste was to include oysters because a rare breed can be found only in a cove off Beziers and off the Ivory Coast of Africa. The wine was to be enjoyed as as close to the way it would be at their Chateaux.
For the oysters locally available we choose one from Louisianna which had similar qualities to that special one in France. Presently it is not available due to the seafood ban. Wholefoods in Hadley has fresh Massachusetts oysters avaiable - Island Creek (Duxbury), Wellfleet, Weino (Bourne area of cape). At Fresh Acres in Springfield you may order Blue Point oysters from Connecticut and the Cape Cod varieties with a 3 day notice.
The shucked oysters were presented simply on a bed of crushed ice. Fresh lemons and the sauces, made according to the recipes we were provided, garnished the platter.
Classic French mignonette sauce subtly accented the invertebrate. While the Herb de Provence accented fresh tomato and horseradish sauce showed the shell fishes qualities from another angle. The stone-fruit aromas and mineral notes of the wine added a freshness to the palate.
Nutritionally balanced, oysters are full of protein, vitamins a, b, c and d . They are also naturally low in cholesterol. Oyster will make both a luxurious and light offering for any holiday feast. Just don't forget the finest accompaniment, a well chosen wine. Although you may not be gifted a bottle from a friend's vineyard, try one from Domaine Saint-Peyre, available locally at Table & Vine.
Photo credit: Wine - Table & Vine
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