Crispy Oysters 'on the ½ shell' with Scallop Ceviche, Blood Orange, Compressed Fennel and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Recipe by Matthew O'Connor, Executive Chef at Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, New York, USA

Ingredients

Compressed Fennel
(Yields 10 Portions)
•    5 Fennel Branches (the green stalk removed from the bulb and trimmed of all leaves)
•   1 tablespoon Pernod Liqueur
•   2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•   1 teaspoon Orange Zest
•   Fennel Fronds (reserved for garnish)

Scallop Ceviche
(Yields 10 Portions)
•    1 pound 10/20 Dry Scallops (cleaned and mussels removed)
•    2 Green Tomatoes (small diced)
•    2 Shallots (minced)
•    ½ Jalapeno Pepper (minced)
•    ⅓ cup Lime Juice (fresh squeezed)
•    ¾ cup Blood Orange Juice (fresh squeezed)
•    1 Grapefruit (zested, zest minced)
•    1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
•    2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro (chopped)

Crispy Oysters
(Yields 10 Portions)
•    30 Oysters, Shucked and Removed from Shell (reserve shells and wash thoroughly). Chef Note: We run ours through the dishwasher
•    1 cup All Purpose Flour
•    ½ cup Evercrisp Breader & Batter Boost 
•    24 ounces Beer
•    ½ teaspoon Salt

Garnish
•   4 cups Rock Salt (tossed with pink peppercorns, fennel seed, and black peppercorns)
•   Micro Cilantro
•   Reserved Oyster Shells
•   Fennel Fronds
•   Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a Squeeze Bottle

Preparation

Compressed Fennel
Place all the ingredients in a food saver bag and vacuum seal overnight.
Remove the fennel branches and thinly slice before serving.

Scallop Ceviche
Mix all of the ingredients in bowl and chill for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. 
Season to taste before serving and hold on ice in a refrigerator.

Crispy Oysters
Shuck all oysters into a bowl,  be sure to remove all the meat from the shell completely. Keep chilled until needed. 
Wash the oyster shells and reserve for service.
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, Evercrisp Breader & Batter Boost, beer, and salt. Wisk to combine and set aside for service. 
Chef Note: This mixture should be prepared as close to serving as possible. 

Assembly

Evenly distribute the rock salt mixture onto 10 small plates.
Place 3 empty oyster shells onto the salt to hold them in place. 
Spoon the scallop ceviche into the oyster shells, making sure to get some blood orange segments into each shell.
Quickly dip the oysters into the beer batter and fry for about 45 seconds at 375 degrees F, remove oysters once they are brown and crispy and drain on a paper towel to remove any oil residue. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the crispy oysters on top of the scallop ceviche.
Garnish with the compressed fennel slices, micro cilantro, and fennel fronds.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately with a small cocktail fork. 

Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, New York, USA