Makes 24

Ingredients

• 24 rock oysters, shucked 

• vegetable oil, for deep-frying 

• rock salt, to serve

• wakame salad, to serve

• 1 sheet nori, thinly sliced

Tempura batter:

• 150g tapioca flour

• 150g rice flour

• 1/2 cup ice cubes

• juice of 1 lime

• juice of 1 lemon

• 250ml soda water

Wasabi dressing:

• 1 tablespoon wasabi paste 

• 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) olive oil 

• 3 teaspoons sesame oil 

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce 

Method

For the tempura: 

1. Combine the tapioca and rice flour in a bowl. Add the ice cubes, soda water, lime and lemon juice mixing with a fork to form a batter - a few little lumps are fine, as they will crips up in the deep-fryer.

For the wasabi dressing 

1. Place the wasabi and 3 tablespoons hot water in a bowl and whisk until well combined. 

2. Mix together the olive oil, sesame oil and soy sauce, then slowly add to the bowl in a steady stream, whisking until emulsified — be careful not to add the mixture too fast or the dressing will separate.

3. Set aside.

For the wasabi oysters

1. Remove the oysters from their shells and place the meat on a tray. Use a paper towel to clean out the shells.

2. Two-thirds fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil. Heat to 170ºC (325ºF), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 20 seconds.

3. Dust the oysters lightly in extra tapioca flour, then dip them into the tempura batter and lightly coat them. Working in two batches, deep-fry the oysters for about 1 minute, until golden. Drain on paper towel. 

To serve

1. Make a bed of rock salt on a serving platter and arrange the oyster shells on top.

2. Spoon a little wakame salad into the shells, then drizzle with the wasabi dressing - place an oyster on top of each and garnish with sliced nori.