Shelling out on the bubbles
Few pairings are more perfect than a freshly shucked oyster and a glass of the finest champagne. Perhaps that’s why Southern Rock Seafood and Shucked Oyster & Seafood Bar’s shell-fest in May ended up being packed to the gills, with the sound of champagne corks popping like firecrackers.
Irish oyster grower Edward Gallagher and French champagne maker Laurent Robert led both masterclasses – an extravagant Friday night dinner and an equally sumptuous Saturday lunch – during which they talked guests through the carefully constructed menus. Glasses of Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot accompanied the platters of Irish oysters, which included plump, mellow Gallagher Specials from Donegal, briny Tragheanna Bay nuggets and sweet Irish Premiums with a delicate mineral finish.
