In the early mornings in the harbor city of Yeosu, I used to follow my mother to the open-air market. There was always a gaggle of women who came daily from a nearby island to sell oysters that they had harvested among the rocks by the shore. They squatted behind their bowls of very small, very sweet wild oysters, shucking them and selling them to passersby. My mom would bring the oysters home, mix them with a quick seasoning sauce, and serve them as a breakfast side dish. They were full of the flavor of the fresh sea. If you live in a place where very fresh oysters are available, use them. You may be able to find containers of shucked oysters at your fish market
or grocery store. If not, the frozen oysters you can buy in Korean grocery stores in the United States make a good substitute, since they are flash frozen as soon as they are gathered and are good raw.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces shucked fresh oysters, or 1 (8-ounce) package frozen oysters, thawed in the refrigerator
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Korean hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 or 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Rinse the oysters under cold running water and drain. If they are large, cut them into bite-size pieces.
- Put the oysters in a bowl and add the soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, sugar, scallions, garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Mix well.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately. The oysters are best eaten on the day they are prepared, but you can refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
