INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. buttermilk
3 dozen West Coast oysters
¼ to 1/3 cup high-quality vodka
2 oz. caviar
Smoked sea salt
PREPARATION
For the crème fraîche
• Heat the cream to 105 degrees. Remove it from the heat, add the buttermilk and mix.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 24 for 48 hours, lightly mixing every 6 to 8 hours until it is thick.
For the oysters
• Shuck the oysters, place them on the half shell and dash each with a few drops of vodka.
• Top each oyster with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the crème fraîche and about Œ teaspoon of caviar. Finish with a pinch of smoked sea salt.
This article appears in Feb 1-28, 2009.