This Friday 5th August is World Oyster Day, a full day dedicated to celebrating Australia’s favourite bivalves!
Oysters make up a big part of the NSW seafood industry, with more than 70 million produced every year, by approximately 280 oyster farming businesses, spread across 32 coastal estuaries. Oysters are extremely important to Australian waterways, and not just as a food source – as filter feeders, they keep waterways clean by consuming bacteria and suspended particles, and can also create reef habitats for other species.
While there are more than 50 species of oysters around the world, Australia has perfected the production of 3 – Sydney Rock, Pacific, and Aganasi (or the ‘flat’ oyster).
In celebration of World Oyster Day, Sydney Fish Market encourages you to support Aussie oyster farmers and slurp back some of these decadent molluscs. Here are four ways to enjoy Australian oysters this Thursday!
1. All natural!
Purists will tell you that this is the only way to enjoy oysters – with nothing added but a crack of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon. If you don’t eat oysters very much, a great way to determine which of our most ubiquitous types you prefer is by getting a tray of Pacific, and a tray of Sydney Rock. (Online ordering options here).
Sydney Rock Oysters are smaller, with a more yellow appearance, and have a saltier and sharper mineral taste. Pacific Oysters are larger and said to be creamier, with more of a layered flavour.
Do a blind taste test and see which you prefer!
2. Restaurant-style toppings.
Often restaurants will serve oysters with a range of different toppings to choose from. The fresh, mineral taste of oysters marries well with zingy dressings, punchy herbs, and gentle heat (such as from horseradish, shallot, or chilli). This pick-and-mix experience is easy to recreate at home, and adds some extra flavours to the mix if you’re still not sold on the natural oyster experience.
Sydney Seafood School has recipes for a basic yet delicious shallot vinaigrette, a zingy Asian dressing, and a spicy ginger and wasabi dressing. Top this selection off with a spicy fennel dressing, a chilli and lime marinade, a tarragon and chive mignonette, or a lemon pepper granita, and you’ll have an oyster feast fit for a five-star restaurant.
3. Order a tray pre-marinated!
Many of our retailers offer home-delivered oysters already marinated for you by their expert in-house seafood chefs. Nicholas Seafood, for example, allows you to select your choice of dressing from ponzu and salmon caviar, tabasco and black caviar, ponzu and seaweed salad, or a mix of all three! Order here.
Claudio’s Seafood also sells a pre-made Japanese dressing for oysters online (order here), and Peter’s Seafood sells a tray of oysters dressed with Uni (order here), for a real treat!
4. Try them cooked!
While many think oysters are at their best eaten cold, fresh, and slurped straight from the shell, there are also a variety of ways to enjoy them cooked! They don’t take long to cook, and can be baked, steamed, or grilled!
Our top recipe suggestions include grilled oysters with garlic butter, steamed oysters with ginger, spring onion, and soy, or our own version of Yum Cha oysters, that our tour guide Alex shows you how to make in this video.
If you’d rather not do the prepping yourself, Sydney Fish Market retailers will deliver you Oysters Kilpatrick and Oysters Mornay, all dressed and ready to be popped in the oven until melted and caramelized!
