I Miss Oysters!

Recent warnings about raw shellfish, plus their being just out of season now (months that don't contain the letter 'r'), have made me a bit wary about ordering oysters right now. I miss them, but it won't be long before I'm ordering them again. But here is a wonderful memory of oysters used in an unusual way. At least unusual to me, as I'm not that familiar with Portugese food. Chef Daniel at Senhor Rooster's (3885 Rupert St., at 23rd Ave.) stuffs a pork loin with oysters, and the result is this beautifully soft, delicate, yet sumptuous centre to the meaty loin. Basically, it's like using the oyster as a condiment, to flavour the pork. This was such a tasty and satisfying dish. The meaty blueberry sauce worked wonderfully. I think he made me two sauces, one blueberry, and one more savoury brown sauce. I loved the potatoes too, on the left side of the plate, cooked with a barbecue like sauce that evening. This dish was on his specials board when we dined, in mid-June.


Pork Loin Stuffed with Oysters, with Blueberry Sauce

Crime Lab Restaurant Boy had the basa basa, a really lovely fish dish, with capers and raisins. He enjoyed this and the restaurant too.


Basa Basa Topped with Capers and Raisins

It was another soul satisfying meal at Senhor Rooster's. It was the perfect meal to replenish us after an amazing canoe paddle through a lake teeming with tail-slapping beavers, a curious painted turtle, and so many startled bullfrogs splashing into the water from their lily pads. You need a hearty meal after you've harassed wildlife all evening.

I feel like I can really count on this restaurant to deliver a great meal. We arrived fairly late in the evening, after 9 pm, without a reservation, and Chef/Owner Daniel welcomed us warmly. While of Portugese descent, his cooking is probably influenced by his time living in Africa. His sauces still wow me, and I believe they change a little from time to time (it really sounds like he loves experimenting with sauces), but one I look out for is the light green coloured jalapeno sauce that seems to have an avocado base. Creamy, mildly spicy, and delicious. Oh my, reminiscing about this meal is making me hungry now!