Huîtres

This salute to the beloved mollusc features recipes from 22 French restaurants, ranging from Michelin-starred establishments to neighborhood oyster bars to a bayside cafe in a fishing village on an island off the coast of Brittany.

Gorgeous photographs of food, people, and places amplify the book’s power to evoke the particular French appreciation of oysters and the special pride that is taken in the oysters of a region: a recipe called les huîtres 100% Briezh not only recommends oysters from a particular oyster farmer, but also calls for a certain sausage. (And it may even be laying a claim to apples as a Breton specialty. En garde, Normandie!).

Local pride aside, the recipes range from traditional to contemporary, with plenty of interesting examples that fall in the middle of that spectrum: oysters with cauliflower and black sausage; oysters with cucumber and mint; grilled oysters with watercress and hazelnuts.

Strong production values make this a dramatic gift. In addition to strong interior photography, the striking silver foil-stamped cover is paired with pearlescent silver edging on all three exposed sides of the book block.

In French. Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.