The Hundred-Oyster Platter
Oysters opened to order, placed on ice, spiced with a mignonette of vinegar and shallot or a simple squeeze of lemon: the start of one of those feasts from which Balzac emerged triumphant.
Oysters opened to order, placed on ice, spiced with a mignonette of vinegar and shallot or a simple squeeze of lemon: the start of one of those feasts from which Balzac emerged triumphant.
A hundred oysters, sir! Yes, a hundred, and that was only the prelude. When I had finished a book after weeks of seclusion and black coffee, I would go down to the Café Anglais and sit down like an ogre returned from war. The oysters slid down by the dozen, fresh as the sea, and I doused them with a dash of shallot vinegar. Then came the chops, the pears, the wine... For you see, he who knows how to fast like a monk also knows how to feast like a king!
- •Coastal oysters (Cancale, Marennes) — by the dozen, as many as desired (the feast)
- •Wine vinegar — a dash (mignonnette)
- •Grey shallot — finely chopped (mignonnette)
- •Lemon — a few wedges (acidity)
- •Rye bread and salted butter — on the side (accompaniment)
The Hundred-Oyster Platter
Oysters opened to order, placed on ice, spiced with a mignonette of vinegar and shallot or a simple squeeze of lemon: the start of one of those feasts from which Balzac emerged triumphant.
Why this dish? Legend has it that Balzac, emerging from a writing fast, could devour a hundred oysters, a dozen chops, and several desserts in a single meal. Dinners at Véry's or the Café Anglais were Homeric banquets for him.
A hundred oysters, sir! Yes, a hundred, and that was only the prelude. When I had finished a book after weeks of seclusion and black coffee, I would go down to the Café Anglais and sit down like an ogre returned from war. The oysters slid down by the dozen, fresh as the sea, and I doused them with a dash of shallot vinegar. Then came the chops, the pears, the wine... For you see, he who knows how to fast like a monk also knows how to feast like a king!
Ingredients (period version)
- Coastal oysters (Cancale, Marennes) — by the dozen, as many as desired (the feast)
- Wine vinegar — a dash (mignonnette)
- Grey shallot — finely chopped (mignonnette)
- Lemon — a few wedges (acidity)
- Rye bread and salted butter — on the side (accompaniment)
Ingredients
- Extra-fresh oysters (deep or flat) — 12 to 24 per person (the feast)
- Red wine vinegar — 3 tbsp (mignonnette)
- Grey shallot — 1, finely minced (mignonnette)
- Lemon — 1, cut into wedges (acidity)
- Rye bread, salted butter — a few slices (accompaniment)
- Crushed ice — a bed (presentation and freshness)
Method
- Prepare the mignonnette: mix the vinegar and minced shallot, let rest 15 minutes.
- Open the oysters just before serving, keeping their liquor, and arrange them on a bed of crushed ice.
- Check freshness (the oyster should retract when touched with lemon).
- Serve immediately with mignonnette, lemon wedges, and buttered rye bread toasts.
- To stay faithful to Balzac, follow up with the lamb chops (recipe r4)...
How it was made : During the Restoration and July Monarchy, oysters arrived in Paris by fast carts and were consumed in astonishing quantities at the grand restaurants of the boulevards, where Balzac had his table.
The contemporary twist : Arrange the platter on a bed of coarse salt and seaweed, with a small slate reading "Balzac ration: 100" — a nod to his legendary appetite.
Sources : Léon Gozlan, Balzac en pantoufles (1856)
Honoré de Balzac · Charactorium
