Darina Allen: Dig into Myrtle’s Beef & Oyster Pie to celebrate Ireland's place in seafood culture

Gigas oysters are available year round, so you may not have noticed that the native Irish oyster (Ostrea edulis) was virtually unavailable for over a decade.

The species had become virtually extinct due to overfishing and disease.

Ireland has long been famous for the quality of its oysters.

Oyster middens have been discovered in virtually every bay around our coastline. Early Irish settlers, right back to the bronze age, feasted on the native Irish oyster. 

At one point they were so plentiful and cheap that they were used to bulk out other dishes, like this delicious beef and oyster pie from Myrtle Allen’s The Ballymaloe Cookbook, published in 1977.

Award winning Rossmore Oysters established in 1969 have farmed the bivalves in Cork Harbour near Carrigtwohill for over 50 years. 

Despite challenges, they continued to breed the ‘natives’. The tireless work David Hugh-Jones and his team did over the years paid off and now they have a plentiful supply of native Irish oysters, both for the home market and export to five European countries.

Special congratulations to David’s sons Rupert and Tristan Hugh-Jones of Rossmore Oysters, who recently won the Water Award at the Euro-Toques Food Awards 2024 for their exceptional native Irish oysters and significant contribution to regenerative aquaculture in Ireland.

The ‘native’ Irish oyster is only in season when there is an R in the month. I enjoy them best, ‘au natural’ with perhaps a tiny squeeze of lemon juice, nothing else to mask their exquisite delicate flavour. 

The curvy gigas, available year around are also delicious just as they are, but their deep shells lend themselves to many toppings too. They are also divine cooked lightly and served with beurre blanc or a champagne sauce.

Altogether, I’ve had a brilliant week of oysters. I was delighted to receive an invitation from Richard Corrigan to judge the Best Dressed Oyster Competition at the London Oyster Championships, at Bentley’s in Mayfair. 

Can you imagine – I tasted sixteen oysters with all manner of creative toppings, some more appealing than others but the winner was Tom Brown of The Pearly Queen, Shoreditch, with Irish chef Robin Gill from Darby’s Oyster Bar a close second.

Tom’s oysters topped with a green salsa and a slurp of tequila were inspired by his sojourn in Mexico while Robin Gill’s had hints of pickled dulse mignonette and nori powder.

Tom Brown’s Oysters with Seaweed Hot Sauce

Oysters, A Salsa Slurp Were Tequila, Mexico And Green Topped In A With Of Sojourn A These Inspired By

Servings

20

Course

 Main

ingredients

• 20 Oysters

• Sauce: The for

• 250g Tomatoes Green

• Green 250g Peppers

• 125g Jalapenos Fresh

• Finely Garlic 2 Cloves, Chopped

• Sugar 25g Caster

• 150g Vinegar Cider

• The Tbsp Seaweed Seaweed Organic From Pany: Ie) Powder Connemara Connemaraseaweedpany 2 (available

• Tequila

method

1. Semi Adjust All The Blackened, Peppers, Garlic, And Skins Remove Seaweed Leave All Add Finish Seasoning Cling The Vinegar Chargrill Green When With The Mix Bowl A And Sugar Then The Powder Smooth Lightly Place As Until And Pulse From And In Seeds To The Film Cover Steam Cool, A Vegetables Until Necessary In

2. Enjoy Shell Empty The The Slurp! Over With Spoon Shell The And Mixture Fill The Them, In Oyster Tequila

Robin Gill's Oysters with Oyster Cream & Pickled Dulse Mignonette

And Hints Powder Mignonette Dulse Of Oysters, With Pickled Nori

Servings

12

Course

 Main

ingredients

• Cream: Oyster The for

• Crème Fraîche 200g

• Reduced Covered In To 3 Pan Wine From: Diced, Reduction A And Finely A Shallot Glaze White Made Shallots, With

• Parsley, Chervil, Bunch Tarragon Each And Dill, Chopped ½ Coarsely

• Fresh Oysters Chopped Shucked 5 And

• for The Oil: Nori/dill

• Sheets Nori 5

• If Can Chervil Tarragon ½ Parsley Or Use (one Or Bunch Desired), Coarsely Dill Chopped

• 200ml Rapeseed Oil

•  

• Mignonette: for Pickled The Dulse

• Diced Shallots, 3

• 100g Chopped Dulce, Dried

• Red 200ml Wine Vinegar

•  

method

1. Oyster for The Cream:

2. A The A Cream In All Oyster Place Mix Piping Bowl And Bag Ingredients in

3. Nori/dill The Oil: for

4. The To 200°c Preheat Oven

5. The Preheated Toast In 5 Oven Minutes Nori The For Sheet

6. Blend Oyster Powder To (reserve Processor Dusting And Before For A Pop Into A Serving) The Food Half

7. The Oil To Herbs Nori Smooth Half The Add Powder And Blend Chopped Rapeseed Until And

8. Dulse for Mignonette: The Pickled

9. Small Into And Shallot Diced A Put Dulse The Bowl

10. Minutes Cover Rehydrate Red 10 For To With Allow Vinegar And Wine 15

11. to Serve:

12. Oysters The Shells Reserve The Open Clean And The Oysters,

13. Of Each Spoon Bottom Shell Dollop The Of Oyster The Cream Onto A

14. The Mignonette On Spoonful Of Then Top, A An Place Oyster

15. Nori/dill Of Dill And Sprinkling Drizzle Of A The A Enjoy Add With A Garnish Powder Sprig With Nori Oil, Little

Myrtle Allen's Beef & Oyster Pie

When Worth For Oysters Pie Really Bulk Inexpensive Back Autumn They Meat Used And May To Seem But – It This Unctuous And Dates A Contemporary Rich Plentiful To Delicious Out Flavour Making, Were Were That Pies Very The Evenings Is Time So

Servings

6

Time Preparation

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 20 mins

Time Total

 2 hours 40 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

• Steak G Chuck Round Beef, 675g Rib Best Steak, Best Or Quality Thick , E

• Salt Freshly Pepper Ground And

• 25g Butter

• Large Chopped Onion, (approx 1 225g)

• Tbsp Flour White 1

• 600ml Homemade Stock Beef

• 225g Sliced Mushrooms

• 12 Oysters Gigas Native Or Irish

• Butter And Cooked On Stirring For Necessary Quantities 2 A Minutes, Of Occasionally) Low Flour Heat If Roux (equal

• Pastry Puff 250g

• Egg Wash

method

1. Minute A Beef Approx In For With Butter 2 And A Low Add Into Heat The Cook And To Cut And 4cm Low The High To The Pan Add A 5 A Melt Oven And Ground Heat Cover To The In Cook Remove The Little Seal Meat Season Frying Plate, To 6 1 A In For Pepper For 1 Simmer Stock, The Cook Freshly Salt The Onions A Transfer Add Boil And Minutes Bring Blend ½ Casserole, Meat A Pan Over Flour, Hours The And Meat Stir The On Or Cubes,

2. A Or Golden Get And Put If To Puffed Salt And Put Minutes, Minutes, For Mark The Pie With Moderate Reduce Aside Further To With And Until With To The Their Add Into Oysters Pepper Juice Bring Open Roux And Juice The Necessary 15 Bowl Hot Slightly Thicken Heat Season 9 Butter, And The A Mushrooms For The A A Little 20 Juice Mushrooms, The Keep When And Boil To Dish, And The With With Egg Mark Meanwhile, For 180°c/gas In 2 Oysters In For Tender The Meat Cook The 250°c/gas Sauté Seasoning Pastry Allow Back The 10 3 Wash Cook Minutes Cold, Stew 4 Is Is A In Cover Their Taste Brush Pastry Oven

3. A With Leaves Salad Serve Of Seasonal

Seasonal Journal