Smoky flavours, succulent citrus fruit, crispy fennel, juicy spinach, and crunchy pistachios met in this Smoked Oyster Citrus Cheddar Salad. It’s an elegant and sophisticated salad packed with flavour and texture.
Hello everyone. I hope this week has been treating you well. It’s the middle of the week, after all. Friday, I can certainly hear you.
Remember I have been saying many times that the winter in Nova Scotia, Canada, has been relatively mild? I am taking my words back! There are two possible scenarios: either I have jinxed our weather, or someone has been jealous and jinxed us. In a nutshell, my morning started with snow blowing in my face. I cannot complain though – the amount of snow wasn’t too bad, and at least the sidewalks weren’t slippery (Compared to last Friday when we had freezing rain, and I ended up walking in the roads). However, by afternoon this snow turned into ice pellets (It was rather painful to walk in the morning as the snow was already kind of icy, so I cannot imagine how bad was it for someone to walk at the afternoon). And like this just wasn’t enough, by the time the day was over, these pellets turned into freezing rain. What a disaster!
Needless to say, I got home all wet and (slightly) grumpy whishing to eat all the comfort food. And then polish off a huge bowl of ice cream (Don’t be surprised. We have no problem eating ice cream in winter. We don’t do that outside, after all!)
However, as we try eating simple things throughout a business week, I just ate some beets and a bowl of simple (Still delicious) chicken mushroom soup.
How is my story connected with this Smoked Oyster Citrus Cheddar Salad? That’s a good question, my friends. I have no idea. But I believe this salad can easily improve your mood when it’s a nasty situation outside.
I love the combination of seafood and citrus fruit, but this was the first time I combined smoked oysters with them. I think the smoky flavour of oysters and cheddar work beautifully with the refreshing citrus fruit. However, while Andrey normally loves this kind of combinations, he wasn’t 100% satisfied with it this time. In his opinion, it would have been better without any citrus fruit as both oranges and oysters had a strong flavour profile. Well, he also added this salad would have been only better with smoked oysters, cheese, avocado, and hard-boiled egg. I absolutely agree, and the suggested idea sounds delicious, but that’s a totally different recipe! (I actually should make it.)
The bottom line is that this Smoked Oyster Citrus Cheddar Salad has a strong and brave flavour profile, and while I truly enjoyed it, the combination of smoked oysters and citrus fruit might be too overpowering for someone else (Consider omitting fruit or using just some juice to drizzle the salad). But if you like sweet & savoury combinations, I encourage you to give this recipe a try.
Cheers for now!
Smoked Oyster Citrus Cheddar Salad
Notes
* Play with the ratio of citrus fruit. You can take different kinds of citrus fruit or omit some suggested in the recipe. I only don’t recommend adding a lot of grapefruit as its bitter flavour could be too intense.
Ingredients
- 2 jars (ab. 85 gr. each) of smoked oysters, drained well (Can use smoked mussels)
- 1 large blood orange, peeled and sliced
- 3-4 mandarine oranges (tangerines or clementines), peeled and sliced
- 1/3 – 1/2 medium grapefruit, peeled and sliced (*See Notes)
- 1/2 cup cubed smoked cheddar (150 gr. roughly)
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/4 cup shaved fennel
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2-3 tbsp. pomegranate arils
- 2 tbsp. salted roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the citrus fruit collecting the juices. Add the drained oysters (mussels), smoked cheddar, fennel, and parsley. At this point, you can chill the salad if necessary – just don’t add the remaining ingredients yet.
- Stir in the spinach when you’re ready to serve. Since the salad is juicy enough thanks to the citrus fruit (and some oil which comes with the oysters), you don’t need any dressing. I also don’t season it, but you might need to season a bit to your liking.
- Divide salad between plates and sprinkle with the pomegranate arils and pistachios.
I’m all for anything sweet and savory – and smoked oysters sound great with citrus! Sorry about that cold weather, I get it, we just had more snow than I can ever remember here. Crazy! But you’re right, this salad could make one forget all that!
I’ve never had smoked oysters, but this salad looks gorgeous and the pairing with citrus and cheddar is a definite selling point! And I hear you on the weather. It hasn’t been that much better in Newfoundland either!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking recently posted…Chocolate Fig Grain-Free Granola
Ice cream year round if you ask me! I can bundle up! I have to give oysters a try again and I think I’d really like smoked over just plain ol’ oysters. Loving the combo with the citrus and cheddar too…ain’t no going wrong there! Have an awesome weekend ahead, Ben, and stay warm :)
I went to school in upstate NY so I feel your pain when it comes to being pelted in the face with frozen stuff. No fun! I hope you get some warmer weather soon. But at least you have this gorgeous salad (and some ice cream) to soothe yourself! Have a great weekend, Ben!
We’ve had just weird weather here this winter, from 19 degrees to 68 degrees.. It’s all over the place for sure! I certainly hope it warms up near you soon, Ben! As for this salad – YUM!! I’m a huge fan of citrus anything and I love me some oysters, so this beauty is a must try!!!! Cheers!
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I definitely have no problem eating ice cream in the winter!! Trust me! Also, it is FREEZING here too and I am so done with it. I’d love to warm up with a bowl of this!
I was wondering how I would get smoked oysters until I read your recipe card details and you said to get jars of them. And sure enough I can get them in my local supermarket! I never even knew they existed in that form. Must try. I hope your weather gets better and you don’t have to be walking through any more frozen ice pellet storms! Have a great weekend and stay safe (and warm indoors!).
neil@neilshealthymeals.com recently posted…Strawberry Vanilla Pudding
Umph. That sounds like cold weather up there, Ben! It’s been snowing here a bunch the past couple of days, and then it iced up on top of that. Talk about a mess! Now about this salad. You always come up with the best salad combinations! I have to admit though that I’m not a huge fan of oysters. (I’ll eat ’em grilled…but other than that, I just don’t love the texture.) Could I perhaps sub in some shrimp?
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