Te Matuku Oysters with mandarin and pickled chilli

Have you been hunting for a seasonal recipe to impress your guests at your next dinner party? We all know that oysters and citrus is a natural match made in heaven, lemons, limes even grapefruit but what about mandarins?

Mandarins could almost be the perfect fruit to eat, with an ideal size to hold in your hand, skin that peels effortlessly, an intoxicating scent and segments that easily part, ready to pop into your mouth.

I love any excuse to use these beauties, the amazing aroma that fills the kitchen! This is also the time of year that Te Matuku Oysters are at their best so how do we put these two amazing morsels together?

Check out this super simple, seasonal recipe.

Mandarin and pickled chilli oysters

INGREDIENTS

• Finely grated zest of 1/2 a mandarin and juice of 1 mandarin

• 1 tsp finely chopped pickled red chillies (from Asian food shops), plus 1 tsp pickling liquid

• 1/2 tsp chilli oil

• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds, plus extra to serve

• 24 freshly shucked oysters

• Crushed ice, to serve

METHOD

1. Combine mandarin zest and juice, pickled chilli, pickling liquid, oils and sesame seeds in a bowl.

2. Place oysters on serving platters lined with crushed ice. Drizzle some of mandarin mixture over oysters and scatter with extra sesame seeds to serve.