Essen: Old Spitalfield Market, London

In search of the lost market…

Once upon a time in a Victorian hall in East London there was a jewellery market filled with exceptional and exotic food stands mixed in among pedlars selling every type of merchandise imaginable – especially if one was willing to dust the fleas off their newfound treasures. Once upon a time, there grew a grove of delicacies at discount prices, a place in which to taste an oyster while on an afternoon walk en route to enjoy a rice cake.

Like in a fairy tale, the curse of the Old Spitalfield Market London seems to have been broken. A market with very old roots (with the first records of it appearing in Roman times), and it was reconstructed in 1893 by Robert Horner in typical Victorian Art Deco, and subsequently sold to the City of London as a place always distinguished by its extraordinary authenticity and independence, which lately seems to have lost some of its lustre. Strolling today among the few remaining merchants can leave a bit of a bitter taste in one’s mouth, considering that the many of the stands formerly serving delicacies have been replaced by clothing shoppes and restaurants.

If you look closely, though, a bit of the market’s old splendours remain happily isolated. Place in which to go in search of the lost market. Fragrant black breads made with ginger and poppyseed remain. And there are still the famous McManus Brothers oysters for one pound fifty,. There are still Apple Crumble wagons stocked with delicate little rice cakes. There are still lamb koftas wrapped in paper, ready to be easily devoured.

Nothing has really changed, in the end. The market of 16 Homer Square is not at all lost – the key is finding it.

If you pass by Old Spitalfield Market and you treat yourself to oysters, here’s a lovely little recipe for you:

Oysters allo Zabaglione
Ingredients and measurements for four people.
-16 oysters
-200g of round zucchini (courgette)
-1 yellow onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-4 egg yolks
-50 grammes of butter
-10cl of sparkling Brut wine
-Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
Open the oysters and place the flesh in a plate; wash the shells well in running water. Cut the zucchini into thin rounds, then place in salted, boiling water for five minutes, remove most of the boiling water and liquefy them, making sure to leave a bit of the salted water for flavour. Place the sauce over slow heat, and add a spoonful of butter and a pinch of salt. Reserve.

Meanwhile, on to the zabaione: chop the onions finely, and crush the garlic cloves and place them in a skillet. Add the egg yolks and beat them with a whisk, diluting little by little with the spumante. Place the pan into a bain-marie at moderate heat, mixing vigorously, for about ten minutes or until it takes on the consistency of a cream. Be sure to keep it from boiling. Remove from heat, and fold in the remaining butter in little squares. Add a pinch of salt and of pepper.

On a serving platter, garnish eight oyster half-shells, filling them with a small spoonful of the zucchini sauce, and gingerly add an oyster drenched in the zabaglione. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 240 degrees for five minutes.