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Downtime Food & Wine-National News SEA PEARLS
| SEA PEARLS |
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| Tuesday, 11 December 2007 | |
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They reign at French festive tables, but any old time is a good excuse for oysters, as Julie Houri finds out… The French are passionate about oysters. Not only do they produce the most oysters in Europe, over 125,000 tonnes annually, they also eat more than any other nation in the world – over 2kg a year each. John McCabe, who has carried out extensive research on French oysters, describes the sensual moment when the delicious mollusc is slurped off the half-shell. “The mind’s eye conjures up images of the thousands of miles of beautiful French coastline. I feel the cool Atlantic breeze, hear the seagulls bickering, and celebrate this precious moment in life to the fullest.” Although oysters have been eaten in France as far back as Roman times, it was Napoleon III, an oyster lover, who revolutionised the industry. His government took over depleted oyster parks and set up cultivation sites all along the French coast to catch oyster larvæ and raise naissains (oyster babies). When the government farms proved unprofitable they were transferred to the private sector by means of concessions. This revived the industry. Throughout the Belle Époque, oysters were consumed at record levels, with many discreet oyster and champagne establishments springing up in Paris. By the 1950s, the French oyster industry had reached heights unrivalled anywhere in the world.  Enticing oyster larvæ to settle on a rough surface is difficult. The Ancient Greeks discovered that broken pottery thrown overboard attracted lots of oyster babies. The shards with young oysters were then transplanted out to grow in other areas. Arcachon oyster farmers (ostréiculteurs) have perfected the ‘captage’ of baby oysters, by using clay roof tiles, specially coated with lime. Once these tiles are loaded with oyster babies, they are left in the bay for about six months before being skilfully scraped off by the ostréiculteur. Then they are stacked and left to grow for up to two or three years. Oysters from the Marenne-Oléron area, which produces annually between 45,000 to 60,000 tonnes a year, are famous for their maturing in special basins (affinage en claires) to enhance their taste, meat weight and texture. John McCabe explains: “The shallow brackish water is very rich in phytoplankton – microscopic algæ, the favourite food of oysters, which changes the ‘oceany’ taste of typical park oysters (not matured in this way) to a sweeter, richer, and more aromatic flavour.” Very strict quality controls operate, and any oysters from Marenne-Oléron bearing the prestigious Label Rouge are certain to be of the highest quality. Normandy and Brittany are important oyster regions too. Louis XIV ordered oysters for Versailles from Cancale, a picturesque little town near Mont-Saint-Michel. Traditionally, half of annual oyster production was consumed over the festive season. However, there’s a growing trend for more all-year-round sales: wholesalers work increasingly with restaurants who have steadier monthly sales than fishmongers. Jean-Pierre Blanc, of Blanc SA Huîtres- Coquillages, one of France’s leading oyster wholesalers, explains: “Twenty years ago, sales were concentrated essentially over eight months in the year, from September to April, with 50% of sales at the end of the year. Now, the endof- year market represents just 20% of our turnover.” To enjoy oysters fully, Paris wine consultant Cyril Breward recommends wines from five regions: Loire – Muscadet AOC or Chéverny; Bourgogne – Bourgogne Aligote, Chablis or Mâcon; Alsace – Sylvaner; Bordeaux – Entre-Deux-Mers and Languedoc – Picpoul de Pinet |
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