Ice, lemon, one hour of theatre
The Shellfish Tower
Two tiers of ice, oysters opened to order, langoustines cooked that morning, crab picked by hand. The most impressive course in private dining and the one with the least cooking.
Preparation
What happens when
- Two days aheadOrder by piece count per guest and confirm the delivery hour.
- The day beforeIce ordered, mayonnaise made, bread ordered, tiers and bowls counted.
- The dayShellfish cooked in the morning, chilled hard, tower built forty minutes before service, never earlier.
Service
How to serve it
One person opens oysters all evening, one refreshes ice and clears shells, and a bowl for empty shells goes on the table from the first minute. Rebuild rather than refill: a tired tower is worse than no tower.
At home
A one tier tower for eight
One good tray on crushed ice beats a rented tower half filled. Buy fewer species and more of each.
- Order 48 oysters, 1.5 kg langoustines and 2 cooked crabs, all for collection on the morning.
- Cook the langoustines in heavily salted water for ninety seconds, then straight into iced water.
- Pick the crab meat by hand, mix the brown meat with a little mayonnaise, lemon and cayenne, and keep both cold.
- Build on 4 kg of crushed ice, forty minutes before service, with lemon halves, shallot vinegar, mayonnaise and brown bread.
Editor’s tip: Open oysters in front of your guests, not in the kitchen. An oyster opened twenty minutes early has lost the thing you paid for.
Plan it
Quantities and timing
How much to buy
Quantity Calculator
Guest count, service style and menu shape turned into a shopping list in kilos, litres and pieces.
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Service Timeline
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Where this menu belongs
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