Out of its shell

NATIVE Irish oysters (Ostrea edulis) are at their very best when there is an R in the month.

During the warm summer months, the flesh becomes soft and milky and though edible, the flavour and texture are undesirable. They are at their plumpest and most gorgeous right now and will still be delicious until the end of April.

Máirín Uí Chomáin, author of Irish Oyster Cuisine, has had a love affair with oysters for many years. Living within an ‘oars length’ of the sea in Co Galway, she’s well placed to forage for shellfish and seaweed along the coastline.