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Yokhos (Casamance oysters with onion and lemon)
Yoxos: Casamance mangrove oysters, grilled open and simmered in a tangy onion-lemon sauce
In the mangrove creeks of Casamance, women gather oysters from the roots at low tide, and in villages around Ziguinchor and Oussouye yokhos are grilled over wood until they pop open, then tossed in a sauce of soft onion, lemon and chilli. The oysters turn plump and firm, briny against the sharp, sweet onions. Eat them with rice or bread as a light meal. Mangrove oysters are rarely sold abroad, so use any fresh rock or Pacific oysters. This dish is always cooked: buy live oysters from a reputable fishmonger, discard any with broken shells or that are open and do not close when tapped, and throw away any that stay shut after grilling. Chef's tip: simmer the oyster meat in the sauce only until the edges curl and the flesh is firm right through; that takes about 3 minutes, and going much longer makes them rubbery.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the oysters
- 24 live oysters in the shellrock or Pacific oysters, scrubbed
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- ½ Scotch bonnet chillifinely chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard (optional)check the label for gluten
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Check 24 live oysters in the shell: throw away any with cracked or broken shells, and any that are open and do not close when tapped. Scrub the rest under cold running water.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 2 onions until soft and just golden at the edges.
8 minStep 3: Add 2 garlic cloves, ½ Scotch bonnet chilli and 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard for 1 minute, then stir in 3 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1 pinch salt and keep the sauce warm over a very low heat.
1 minStep 4: Meanwhile, lay the oysters, cup side down, on a hot charcoal grill or under a very hot oven grill, or in a covered pan over a high heat. Cook until the shells pop open.
6 minStep 5: Discard any oysters that have not opened. Using a cloth to hold them, prise off the top shells and cut the meat free, catching the juices.
Step 6: Add the oyster meat and juices to the sauce and simmer until the edges curl and the flesh is firm and opaque right through.
3 minStep 7: Scatter with 1 handful flat-leaf parsley and serve at once with rice or bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does yokhos (Casamance oysters with onion and lemon) take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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