an all appetizer dinner

Heyy !!! how is eveyone?? I've had a pretty epic day today, so what better way to  finish it off then with an epic dinner, am i right??

We decided to keep it simple tonights so Wwat you see here is oysters, a caprese salad, and a cured halibut carppaccio, all made right at home !! for oysters we have the classic kusshis' are very popular in vancouver because they're small and have a really clean flavor. Grown by Keith Reid, a oyster farmer in Deep Bay, "Kusshis are grown in floating trays and tumbled very aggressively. This breaks off the thin growing edge and forces them to deepen and thicken their shells. The resulting oyster, called a Kusshi, Japanese for “precious,” is almost as deep as it is long—just over two inches." 

The next oyster we had was kumamoto, grown in California. They are very well known for the appearance of their shells, which is dark and fluted. These are similar to kusshi in flavour, but a little bit more briny with almost a melon flavour after taste, larger ones are also very meaty at times.

The last one we had were Prince Edward Island Malpeque. This being one of Canadas' most consumed oyster, and one that is good both cooked and raw. This is one I would recommend to eat with a little bit of lemon juice, the meat has a very mild flavour and is also very tender. Easy to eat, easy to swallow. The brine is a little strong and on the pungent side, the combination of both flavours create a clean and delicious flavour!

Now we move on too one of my all time favourite salads, a traditional caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes, buffala mozerella and basil seasoned lightly with sea salt. Some what self explanatory so i wont spend too much time on it. What I can say on the subject is that if you can get your hands on some nice balsamic vinegar then keep some in a small bowl on the side for dipping your bites in.

Last but not least, the halibut carpaccio. This is a dish that i've been working on for a few months, and have finally perfected ( there will be a full recipe posted soon ).

Again very simple but not as simple as the others. I took a piece of halibut fillet and rubbed spices on it, then wraped it tightly with plastic wrap, then froze it, it needs to be frozen in order to be able to slice it as thinly as needed. After it's ready, slice thinly and place on plate, once on the plate it's time to cure it., in this recipe it's a spicy citrus cure. The garnishes are caper berries, diced rhubarb, and a small arugula salad, and last but not least you need some sea salt a la minute so it wont melt into the cure/sauce. This adds a necessary saltyness and texture that the dish wouldn't be complete without.

I hope you will take inspiration from any one of these dishes and enjoy you meal times as much as I do, this is Chef signing off and wishing you all great food !!!