Oysters on the Half Shell with Nobu-Style Jalapeño Salsa

We lunched at Nobu's in Newport Beach about a week ago and had their oysters on the half shell with an assortment of toppings for an appetizer. The oysters were Shigokus and the 3 toppings were Jalapeño Salsa, Matsuhisa Salsa, and Maui Onion Salsa. The Shigokus were on the smaller side, more sweet than briny, and super refreshing (similar to Kumamotos). After research, I found that Shigokus are a Pacific oyster farmed by Taylor Shellfish in Washington State. Here's a description from their website: https://buy.taylorshellfishfarms.com/oysters/shigoku-oysters 

"Our most innovative oyster, Shigokus are Pacific oysters grown in bags that are attached to floats that go up and down in the tides, tumbling the oysters. Every time the oysters get agitated, they use their muscles to close their shells. It’s like Pilates class for oysters twice a day, and the result is an oyster with wonderfully firm flesh and a deep cup. Shigoku means "ultimate” in Japanese, and we think these unique oysters fit the bill."

I ordered 30 Shigokus from Taylor's and served them with an adaption of the Jalapeño salsa (similar to a mignonette but with minced onions rather than shallots and a little kick of spice) from Nobu's cookbook. Since Maui onions aren't readily available here, I used a sweet yellow onion instead. Vidalias are also a good substitute.

INGREDIENTS:

30 Shigoku, Kumamoto or any other of your fav oysters, scrubbed clean and shucked

JALAPENO SALSA:

3/4 cup of finely minced Maui, Vidalia or other sweet yellow onion

Juice of 1 lemon (about 4-5 tbsp.)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

1. Mix all the salsa ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside (refrigerate until ready to use).

2. If not using the oysters right away, refrigerate them in the coldest part of your frig. Use within 1-2 days max. 

3. Place a layer of crushed ice on a serving platter. Shuck the oysters and place the half-shells on the ice in the serving dish. 

4. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with the Jalapeño salsa on the side.