Oysters au naturel Down Under

There is no taste better than that of oysters shucked and eaten three seconds after they leave the water, Pauline D Loh discovers

The first sensation on the tongue is salt, but as the tasty morsel glides down the throat, a myriad others follow - sweet, savory, a tinge of bitterness lightened by licorice and an aftertaste that makes you think you have just swallowed the salt sea breeze.

That is how an oyster tastes when it is eaten seconds after it leaves the water. There is no need for any condiment, apart from the one nature has provided - the tang of the sea. Forget the lemon wedges, seafood sauce or Tabasco, they will only mar the flavor of the oysters au naturel.

We were at Coffin Bay on the Eyre Peninsula, the seafood Mecca of South Australia. Our group of eager food journalists had risen extra early to catch the oyster boat, a basic barge-like vessel designed purely to transport oysters.

The ride out to the bay was relatively smooth until the skipper hit the throttle, and then we had to cling desperately to the sides of the boat for support as it gathered speed. The crew was probably laughing at us landlubbers, softened by too much free wine and food.

However, we were also tenaciously motivated by the thought of the freshest oysters in the world and no one even thought of giving up.

Before long, the sea turned a lighter shade of blue and we began to see long lines of what looked like huge sticks stuck into the shallow waters. We also observed two men in chest-high waders strolling among the rows.

The boat's engine went off and we glided silently right up among the columns. And then we saw the oysters, caged in long tubes of nets attached to ropes strung between the pillars.

The oysters near us were two years old, plump and mature for the markets. The captain shucked them easily, inserting his oyster knife at just the right spot, cutting through the muscle like butter and flipping the oyster onto its plump belly.

Nothing tastes better than this.

The water at Coffin Bay is some of the cleanest in the world, with a sandy bottom that invites a light growth of edible seaweed. Among these weeds lives the King George whiting, creating a micro eco-system that works extremely well. Most important of all, the fish and oyster farmers in the region are fiercely protective of the environment.

Most Australian oysters belong to the smaller Pacific Ocean variety, which means they are table-sized and better suited for the seafood platter. We were told Chinese buyers prefer larger, older oysters. That is probably because Chinese restaurants prefer to cook their oysters, and a bigger oyster will shrink less with cooking.

With the proliferation of Western restaurants in our major cities, however, the sophisticated diner in China will probably be tasting more raw oysters on the shell. All you have to do is market the oysters as a natural aphrodisiac.

And, Coffin Bay oyster farmers are now cultivating both spawning and non-spawning oysters to keep supplies steady all year round. Traditionally, oysters reproduce in summer and this is when they release eggs and sperm into the water. This is also when they are at their thinnest, after having exhausted themselves reproducing. To the oyster farmer, they will be worthless until they grow fat again in the cooler months.

Oysters that do not spawn are not subject to this cycle and are edible all year round with no loss in size or flavor.

And now, we need to look at how to identify a good eating oyster.

First, do not buy oysters out of season in their land of origin - which means you need to know your geography. Summer in the northern hemisphere is from June, July to August - the months without an "r" in them. However, this is the best time for Australian and New Zealand oysters, since these are the winter months for them and excellent for oysters.

Next, look at the oysters. Choose those with a deep cup, and heavy for their size. Shallow oysters have thin flesh. You also need to look at their shells. Oysters heavily encrusted with growth and seaweed are older, tougher and probably not properly acclimatized for export.

When the oysters are ready for harvesting, the farmers slowly raise the netted cages so the shellfish get used to being out of water, which lessens the trauma of airfreight. The process also causes the oysters to knock against each other in the surface swell, rubbing off the odd bits of seaweed and barnacles, which makes for a cleaner, whiter shell.

Oysters are best eaten raw, when they are at their freshest. Sometimes, a squeeze of lemon takes away the "fishy" smell, and a few drops of Tabasco or any hot sauce has the same effect.

Classic preparations of oysters on the half-shell include Oysters Kilpatrick, in which oysters are topped with a mixture of chopped bacon, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce, and grilled for about five minutes. Wedges of lemon are the usual garnish.

Another popular grilled version is Oysters Rockefeller, a suitably opulent recipe that involves sandwiching the oysters between a bed of sauted minced spinach and shallots and a cheesy breadcrumb topping.

I prefer oysters au naturel, preferably eaten a mere minute after they leave the water. My second preference is an Asian-style ceviche, inspired by the South American classic. Herbs and tart lemon juice marinades "cook" the oyster, but the flavors are still very fresh. I have also suggested a classic Cantonese recipe - quickly steamed oysters served with fresh scallions and ginger.