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A Beginners Guide To Oysters!
Oysters can be eaten half shelled, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, grilled or used in a variety of drinks. Pretty much, oysters can be eaten any which way and Oyster Bar is here to give you the low-down on this popular seafood dish.
For the traditionalist and maybe the ultimate oyster lover,
flipping the lid off and straight into one’s mouth is all that is required to
enjoy one of mother nature’s pleasures, although with $2 Kilpatrick Thursday’s,
one might argue that an oyster topped with bacon, tomato and Worcestershire
sauce is coming a close second.
At Oyster Bar we predominately source our oysters from South Australia, which
are a pacific oyster, grown in the Pacific Ocean (funnily enough) and give a
rich salty flavour. We typically bring in ‘plate’ which are 60-70mm in size, a
medium sized oyster which most people find just the right size for eating
natural, deep fried and grilled with some amazing toppings and sauces. They
have proven to be a world class oyster and strongly sought after in Oyster
Bar.
Unlike most shellfish, oysters can have a fairly long shelf life: up to two weeks; however, they should be consumed when fresh, as their taste reflects their age.
For maximum shelf life, oysters should be stored out of water in refrigeration but not frozen or in 100% humidity. Oysters stored in water under refrigeration will open, utilize the small reserves of oxygen and die. Raw oysters are regarded like wines in that they have complex flavours that vary greatly among varieties and regions: some taste sweet, others salty or with a mineral flavour, or even like melon.
The texture is soft and fleshy, but crisp to the tooth. Oysters are best consumed in the winter months as from November to mid-March they begin their reproductive cycle as the water temperatures rise which means oysters become very hard to come by. The key is to look for an oyster that is not too fat, has a nice amount of liquid inside the shell and on the nose has a lovely salty fresh smell.
It’s fair to say, Oyster Bar knows a good-looking oyster when we see one!
Oyster varieties served at Oyster Bar:
- Pacific Oyster – The Pacific Oyster offers a rich salty flavour and are sourced from South Australia.
- Albany Oyster – The Albany oysters offer a slightly less salty flavour (although grown in salt water) and a little smaller in size but still great quality. *WA Venues Only
- Sydney Rock Oyster – Sydney rock oysters tend to have a slightly mineral flavour grown around the estuaries the eastern coast of New South Wales. *WA Venues Only
By Kirsty Carter, Oyster Bar Director
