Oysters are one of those foods that are a required taste. Some love them and can't get enough, others are repulsed by the whole experience.
My parents both love oysters, yet I was never a fan until the last few years. The funny thing about this is that when I was growing up all food was to be tasted and tried, nothing was not eaten, yet oysters I never remember being made to eat... funny that!
As a result I love all food and was frustrated a few years ago that I just could not stomach oysters. Being one of the ultimate fresh luxury foods, I needed to learn. I am now proud to say that it is shucked to order, Sydney rock oysters that have gotten me over the line. These beauties from Wallis lakes in NSW, were shucked in the bar at The Melbourne Wine Room as we ordered them, muscle intact and served with just some lemon. Briny, with a iodine zippiness the rock oysters are a perfect size, not as intimidating as the often fat and sometimes OTT pacific oysters or as scary looking as the native angassi you see around occasionally.
As I have posted in the past, I also love the tripoid oysters that you can get as they are also more on the elegant side, but the Sydney rocks are always a safe bet at a 'good oyster' place that shucks as they are ordered, these places include:
~The Melbourne Wine Room, pick from the iced display
~France Soir, shucked in the bar in true French style
~Oyster, Little Bourke, always a selection of regions available
~Comme, pick the baby sized Merguez sausages on the side to push them out of the shell with, for a taste of west coast French oyster eating sophistication
Or better still buy them unshucked and do your own, the only catch is the ulcer I can feel developing as PDC shucks away in the kitchen, I just can't watch, it makes me nervous I will soon be on my way to the emergency department with a shucker blade through his hand!
Jack
Maybe there is hope for me yet, I am soooooo not a seafood kinda gal but I wish I was, maybe my palate just needs more developing... Vida x
ReplyDeleteFirstly, it was great to meet you Jack. It was very interesting to hear you talk about your job. I'm so envious.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I love love love oysters. Can't get enough of them. Have been experimenting with different toppings lately, but I have to agree, just natural with a touch of lemon is perfect.
I love oysters. The best oysters i have ever had was in Tasmania, and if you can beleieve it off the side of a raod where a couple had set up a van near a blowhole. they were plump, juicy with no bitterness of over-fishiness and perfect with lemon. mmmm i am going to back to tassie just for the oysters
ReplyDeleteJack,
ReplyDeletelike you I have never been able to come at the oyster... i want to know after picking it up from the plate, how you 'ate' it. in one gulp? how does one savour the flavour?
Katie
For me the issue was always the texture of the oyster, as I had always enjoyed the smell. To overcome this, I now actually enjoy eating the smaller ones that don't really need too much chewing. Obviously the fresher the better as well. Those scaringly huge jumbo pacific oysters you occasionally see, especially in Chinese restaurants make my stomach turn.
ReplyDeleteJack
yep. never done the pacifics - they are an imposter. unfortunately i had to write a paper on that at university. can you imagine the smell of a university lab after slow drying hundreds of oysters?
ReplyDeleteUGHCGHKSCHSICUSGHSC!!!!!
so you did chew?
I to was the same with oysters. Now I adore them. Sydney rock oysters are fantastic. We are getting alot of the Coffin Bay ones up here in NQ at the moment and they are fabulous. My Chopper will only eat oysters kilpatrick. I am yet to convert him.
ReplyDelete