Thai Seafood Sauce. The Best Way to Eat Raw Oysters.
I have enjoyed chilled oysters about a million different ways. I’ve had them plain, with a little citrus, and with a multitude of different cocktail sauces, hot sauces and mignonettes. All of these preparations can be amazing but my favorite way to eat oysters, hands down, is with Thai seafood sauce and crispy shallots.
Nam Jim Seafood
Nam Jim Seafood (Thai seafood sauce) is a common sauce in Thailand that is often eaten with grilled or boiled seafood. Its usually based on garlic, chilies, cilantro, lime juice, and fish sauce. The resulting sauce is tart, salty, garlicky and spicy; an amazing compliment to grilled shrimp, squid, clams and really any type of seafood. Now that I think about it, this sauce is really good on just about anything. I could easily drizzle some on a grilled skirt steak or on some grilled chicken.
Crispy Shallots
Fried shallots may sound a bit strange to put on top of raw oysters but trust me, it works. The toasty, fried onion flavors really pair well with the briny oysters and the bright flavor of the seafood sauce. The shallots also add a little bit of textural interest to each oyster. Just make sure to keep the shallot on the side and only add them to the oysters as you eat them. That way they can maintain some of their crunch.
I like to lightly dust the shallots in flour for a little extra crispiness but feel free to fry them without flour if you like. I don’t like to waste a ton of oil when frying a few shallots for oysters so I usually just fill a small saute pan with about a half inch of oil and shallow fry the shallots while stirring.
The best way to present a plate of oysters like this is to fill a platter with ice, Place the oysters on the ice alongside a ramekin of seafood sauce and a little dish of the crispy shallots. You could also serve a few lemon or lime wedges for the purists in your party.
Chilled oysters with Thai seafood sauce (nam jim seafood) and crispy shallots
Ingredients
Oysters
- 1 dozen shucked fresh oysters
Thai Seafood Sauce (Nam Jim Seafood)
- 2 grams minced thai bird chili, red or green 1/2 teaspoon
- 4 grams finely minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon
- 8 grams minced shallot 1 tablespoon
- 3 grams finely chopped cilantro, stems and leaves 1 tablespoon
- 40 grams fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons
- 20 grams fish sauce 1.5 tablespoons
- 10 grams palm sugar (or white sugar) 1/2 tablespoon
Crispy Shallots
- 2 medium sized shallot, peeled
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil (corn, canola, peanut……any neutral oil)
- salt
Instructions
Seafood Sauce
- Combine all seafood sauce ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Crispy Shallots
- Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice shallots into thin rings (along the "equator") . place rings in a small bowl.
- Separate shallots into rings using your fingers and toss with flour.
- Fill a small pot or saute pan with about 1/2 inch of oil bring to 350 degrees Fahrenheit over medium heat.
- Add shallots into the oil and fry.
- The oil should drop in temperature after adding the shallots. You want to maintain the temperature around 300 Fahrenheit. Use thermometer to check temperature and adjust heat if necessary while cooking.
- Once shallots are golden and the bubbling of the oil has mostly subsided, remove the shallots using a slotted spoon or perforated spatula. Be aware that the shallots will continue to get a shade darker even after they are removed from hot oil. If the shallots get a little too dark, it is OK as long as they are not totally burnt.
- Place onto a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt.
To serve
- Shuck your oysters and place on a platter with crushed ice.
- serve with a ramekin of seafood sauce, a small dish of shallots and some lemon/lime wedges if you like.