Oyster Sunomono

24 Pacific Oysters
1 small cucumber
2 sheets dried seaweed (Yakisushi Nori)

SAUCE:
½ cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2.5cm piece green ginger
salt

Slice peeled cucumber in wafer-thin slices, three-quarters of the way through.  Soak in salted water for 1 hour.  Drain, rinse under cold water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Cut seaweed in 2.5cm squares.  Soak seaweed in hot water for 1 minute; drain.  Place in four serving bowls.  Remove oysters from shells, trim oysters.  Arrange 6 oysters overlapping seaweed in each bowl.  Divide cucumber between bowls and pour sauce over.

SAUCE: Combine vinegar, water and sugar in bowl.  Grate ginger and press between fingers to extract juice.  Add juice to bowl, discard fibres.  Season with salt, mix well.

New Orleans Oyster Po-Boy

48 Pacific Oysters, shelled
2 thick French loaves
butter
cornflour for dusting
salt and freshly ground pepper
oil for deep-frying
Tabasco sauce
pickled gherkins, sliced

Cut the loaves in half lengthways.  Toast each half and spread with a little butter.  Dust the oysters in the cornflour which has been seasoned with the salt and pepper, and deep-fry in hot oil for a few minutes.  Make a sandwich with the toast, oyster, sprinkled with Tabasco sauce and sliced gherkins.