The French Oyster Killer
Mysterious disease threatens French oyster population
News has reached me via one of my French chefs that France is currently in the grips of a major problem affecting its oyster population. Farmers have reported an ever increasing rise in the death rate of their oysters to the extent that they are facing a real shortage of the luxury shellfish.
It seems that only young oysters are affected, farmers are confident that the forthcoming season will be a good one and the mature oysters are of a particularly good quality, unlike those under a year old which are suffering a death rate of between 40 and 100%. Among the suggestions as to why they are dying is a rise in sea temperatures resulting in the young oysters eating more plankton than usual and dying from indigestion. The other most likely theory is the OHS-V1 virus which has been particularly savage this year.
This dosen’t bode well for the French who are the world’s biggest consumers of oysters, worst case scenario is that they face a baron year whilst the stocks are replenished, either way they will be paying more for their oysters in the future.
Absolute worst case scenario is that they will have to import their beloved oyster from us Brits!!
Miles,
Now there’s something I’ve never tried. Of course I’ve had oyster sauce but that’s about it. Have I really missed out?
Cid
July 30, 2008 @ 9:30 am
Cid,
I can give them a miss, if I do eat them then I like something with it like a little shallot vinaigrette. I can think of seafood I would rather eat.
Miles
July 30, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
Miles,
I recently had a tamarind sauce with some Thai food…. that was nice and something I hadn’t had for years. No doubt specialist shops and Waitrose stock various jars/tins of the stuff…. think I’ll get some for home use just for a change.
Tonight cold chicken left overs to be curried with some coconut milk …. I shall do as you suggest and put some lime leaves in with the rice.
You know I was thinking yesterday about the chilli thing and after some research found that despite their heat they appear (in moderation) to be very good for us. So then as I was driving along and felt a bit ‘heady’ as if a cold might be coming…. ate some crystalized ginger which was also mighty hot…. strange thing is today I feel so much better…. coincidence or maybe not?
Cid
July 30, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
Cid,
Did you read Melissa’s comment yesterday about the medicinal qualities of chillies, they are more useful than we imagine.
As for tamarind, if you buy the pulp be sure to soak it in warm water first, squeeze the flesh then strain it as it is full of pips/stones, tamarind is also a good infusion for colds btw.
Miles
July 30, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
Miles,
I tell you, after reading up about the chemical makeup of ginger, I’m now totally convinced that a cocktail of grated fresh ginger, garlic, chilli and honey to taste, in boiling water…. has got to be the natural way to help a cold or flu. Perhaps then Miles, you could try this demon hot chilli in a beverage like this?
Thanks for the info about tamarind…. maybe we should bung some in our remedy, bottle it and make a fortune?
Cid
July 30, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
Cid,
Your above concoction of ginger, garlic, chilli and honey is great. We shall all feel well in our stomachs, bright in our head and generally warm inside.
I used to make a warming drink of freshly squeezed ginger, lemon juice, a spoonful of good honey and boiling water. I shall be adopting the chillies.
A friend of mine makes up regularly (approx. 4x per annum) infusions of garlic/water cooked/strained. She takes 2 good glucks of this per day for 3 weeks and is convinced that they keep her grey cells moving!
Elsie
July 30, 2008 @ 7:54 pm
Cid,
Whenever my staff are feeling a cold coming on I give them a similar concoction, as I write this I have remembered already writing a post on it!!
Miles
July 30, 2008 @ 7:55 pm
Miles,
I am getting very interested in chillies but want to know more about them. I only use it in chilli-con-carne or spice up some tomato type sauces. I also put some flakes into baked beans. So thank you for your posts.
When buying chillies, are there any indicators as to their heat? How different are green to red chillies and in terms of their usage, please? Sorry if I sound ignorant but I want to learn.
Thank you.
Christine
July 30, 2008 @ 8:01 pm
Christine,
Red chillies are ripe green ones, most chillies bought in supermarkets will have some kind of heat indicator on them, small Thai chillies are very hot whilst small, fattish ones from Kenya are generally bland, tasteless and rubbish to be honest. Cayennes are a good all rounder, good heat level and fruity taste, especially good when dried.
Miles
July 30, 2008 @ 8:31 pm
Elsie,
I’m trying to convince myself that this potion is going to be very drinkable, in truth I dread it! Many’s the time I’ve tried grated ginger in hot water and found it a struggle to finish…. perhaps I didn’t add enough honey. Next time it’s going to be the whole recipe complete with a touch of chilli, although not the fire breathing jolokia type…. surely they’re the ones you hang up to ward off evil spirits
It’s obvious to me that we should both give up our day jobs and go into full time potion and poultice making
Cid
July 30, 2008 @ 10:22 pm