Oysters with Balsamic Pearls is a new and exciting way to enjoy oysters. Bursting with flavour from the pearls, lemon, shallots and tomatoes!
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When Sticky Balsamic reached out and offered to send over some of their products to try, I was ecstatic! I’ve always been a huge balsamic fan, and I was ever so curious about balsamic pearls. As soon as their package arrived, I ripped it open with unrestrained excitement.
The taste test? Oh my, it’s beyond delicious! Intense burst of high quality balsamic liquid in every pearl! They’ve got the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. There are countless ways we could use these balsamic pearls. Over bruschetta, pasta, roast veggies, salads, meats and the list goes on…but, then it dawned on me, these pearls would be amazing with oysters!
Here are plump oysters, served with finely diced tomatoes, shallots, fresh lemon, and topped with beautiful dark, glistening pearls. Don’t they just look so elegant? The balsamic pearls added extra oomph to these oysters!
My sister and I clinked our oyster shells together, and our eyes widened at the first taste. It honestly tasted like something you would pay premium prices for at a restaurant. This may be our newest and favourite way to enjoy oysters!
Big thanks to Dee at Sticky Balsamic. We thoroughly enjoyed Sticky Balsamic high-quality balsamic products and would highly recommend them. Support Australian businesses and give Sticky Balsamic a try! You’ll fall in love with their pearls and other products too.
Oysters with Balsamic Pearls
How to pick oysters
My favourite oysters to eat raw are our local Sydney rock oysters because they’re sweet with a mild briny flavour. Here, I used Pacific oysters here because they simply photograph better! The type of oyster available depends on your location, so pick whichever you like best.
Source oysters from a reliable and knowledgeable fishmonger who’s has a great reputation for handling fresh seafood. Raw seafood poses health risks if not perfectly fresh, so it’s worth paying extra for top-quality oysters!
Pick large plump oysters, resting on their half shell. If they’re not shucked, ask your fishmonger to open them for you. Fresh oysters should look glossy, and have a clean, slightly salty, ocean scent.
What are balsamic pearls?
Balsamic pearls are little balls of balsamic liquid made using a cool process called ‘spherification’. The pearls look like boba because they look black, but they’re more caviar-like texture. They have a concentrated burst of balsamic flavour, with a pleasant pop when bitten into. It’s sweet and tangy, a real flavour explosion of balsamic!
Where can I get balsamic pearls?
If you’re in Australia or the US, check out Sticky Balsamic you can order jars on their website (Sticky balsamic provided me with their products to sample and have not sponsored this post). Alternatively, you could also just drizzle some balsamic vinegar or glaze on each oyster.
Crazy about oysters? Try these recipes:
Ingredients for Oysters with Balsamic Pearls
Oysters – For this recipe, you’ll need 12 large fresh shucked oysters resting on their half shell. Over here, the oysters are already cleaned and opened before they’re sold. If they’re closed where you are, see if your fishmonger to shuck your oysters.
Balsamic pearls are small balls filled with liquid balsamic. They create a burst of intense flavour when eaten. Sticky Balsamic (not sponsored) gifted me a jar of their pearls. Sweet, tangy, and tantalisingly delicious, with a burst of balsamic flavour. If you can’t find balsamic pearls, a drizzle of high-quality balsamic vinegar or glaze will add a lovely tangy sweetness to the oysters.
Shallots (eschalot or French shallots) – Shallots look like small brown onions but are skinny and oval-shaped with a mild flavour. They’re difficult to peel and are usually more expensive than other types of onions. You could swap shallots for equal amounts of brown or red onions.
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How to make Oysters with Balsamic Pearls
Step-by-step guide with photos
To ensure optimal flavour and texture, serve these oysters immediately after preparing them.
Remove any liquid from the oysters.
Cut the tomato in half and discard (or keep for other use) the pulp and seeds. Pat the insides of the tomato with paper towels, then finely dice them. You will need 1/4 cup, or 40g / 1.4oz of diced tomatoes.
Put the tomatoes, shallots, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl, then mix to combine.
Spoon on a teaspoon of the tomato and shallot mix on each oyster, then top them with a teaspoon of balsamic pearls. Garnish with a small dill sprig if desired, then use coarse salt to arrange the oysters on the plate. Serve and enjoy right away!
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Oysters with Balsamic Pearls
Video
Ingredients
- 12 large oysters, shucked on their half shell (NOTE 1)
- ¼ cup (40g / 1.4oz) finely diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup Sticky balsamic pearls (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp (20g / 0.7oz) finely diced shallots or eschalots (NOTE 3)
- 2 tsp (10ml / 0.3floz) lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp of fine salt
Optional garnish and presentation
- fresh dill
- coarse salt to stand the oysters on
Instructions
- To ensure optimal flavour and texture, serve these oysters immediately after preparing them. Remove any liquid from the oysters. Cut the tomato in half and discard (or keep for other use) the pulp and seeds. Pat the insides of the tomato with paper towels, then finely dice them. You will need 1/4 cup, or 40g / 1.4oz of diced tomatoes.
- Put the tomatoes, shallots, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl, then mix to combine. .
- Spoon on a teaspoon of the tomato and shallot mix on each oyster, then top them with a teaspoon of balsamic pearls. Garnish with a small dill sprig if desired, then use coarse salt to arrange the oysters on the plate. Serve and enjoy right away!
