Chilled Seafood Tower* Recipe

Chill and prepare seafood

Keep all seafood well chilled. Place crushed ice in refrigerator while assembling. If oysters and clams are live, scrub shells, then shuck just before serving: hold oyster cup-side down, run oyster knife along hinge, twist to open, cut muscle and transfer shell with liquor to a shallow bowl on ice. For clams, shuck similarly, preserving liquor. Arrange oysters and clams on ice until plating.

Prepare shrimp

If shrimp are raw, poach in gently simmering salted water with a halved lemon and a bay leaf for 2–3 minutes until pink and just cooked. Immediately plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Peel leaving tails on, devein if needed. Chill until assembly.

Prepare king crab

If crab legs are precooked, reheat briefly by steaming for 4–6 minutes until warm, then chill. Split legs lengthwise with kitchen shears to expose meat, or serve whole split pieces. Keep chilled on ice until plating.

Handle caviar

Keep sturgeon caviar chilled in its tin on crushed ice. Do not mix into other components; serve a small spoon of caviar on the top tier or in a small chilled dish beside the tower just before serving.

Make cocktail sauce (quick)

In a small bowl combine ketchup, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and hot sauce if using. Taste and adjust heat or acidity. Chill until service.

Make Dijonaise (quick)

Whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and salt until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Transfer to a small serving bowl and chill.

Make mignonette

Combine minced shallot, red wine vinegar, cracked black pepper and salt in a small jar. Stir and let marry for at least 10 minutes so flavors meld. Keep chilled.

Prepare lemons

Cut Meyer lemons into wedges for serving and halve one for poaching water if needed. Reserve a few thin slices for garnish.

Toss thinly sliced English cucumber with chopped kimchi, rice vinegar, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, chopped chives and salt in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill for 15–30 minutes so flavors marry. Drain a little liquid before plating to avoid watering down the ice bed.

Choose a tiered seafood tower stand or use nested bowls/platters. In the base platter, mound crushed ice (or rock salt if you prefer less melt) to create an even bed. Arrange small bowls for sauces on the tiers so they sit stably.

Arrange the seafood attractively: place oysters and clams on the bottom tier or ring around the platter with shells nestled into the ice. Position split king crab pieces prominently. Fan shrimp in groups around a bowl of cocktail sauce or place shrimp standing with tails out. Put a small chilled dish with sturgeon caviar on the top tier or center of the tower with a mother-of-pearl spoon if available.

Spoon cucumber kimchi salad into a small bowl and place it on the tower as a bright, spicy counterpoint to the chilled shellfish.

Place small bowls of mignonette, cocktail sauce and dijonaise on the tower. Garnish with chive snips and microgreens, and scatter lemon wedges around. Grind a little black pepper over crab and shrimp if desired.

Serve immediately with small forks, oyster forks, and plenty of napkins. Encourage guests to use caviar sparingly atop oysters or on chilled blini/crackers if provided.