Royal River oysters with plankton foam
For this dish at Bar56 in the Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood of DUMBO, executive chef Vincent Cortese uses Royal River oysters from Yarmouth, Maine, which he says come from an inlet of cold and constantly moving water that results in very clean oysters with strong shells.
He shucks them, plates them on a bed of seaweed, and then tops them with a little diced cucumber and lime and “oceanic cucumber plankton foam” made by blending cucumber juice with plankton powder, lime zest and juice, and Sicilian olive oil. Then egg whites are whipped into it and it’s charged with nitrous oxide in a whipped cream cannister. It’s finished with powdered nori seaweed.
“The goal of the dish is to highlight the natural flavor, subtly enhancing the oceanic flavors, while adding some freshness and complexity without masking the flavor of the oyster itself,” he said.
Price: $15 for four