As the Australian festive season approaches, nothing says summer celebration quite like a platter of freshly shucked Albany rock oysters. Chef Blaze Young from Nieuw Ruin has generously shared her expertise with five stunning garnish recipes that will transform your seafood spread into a culinary highlight.
Elevate Your Oysters Without Overpowering Them
Each of these five carefully crafted dressings is designed to complement the natural briny sweetness of fresh oysters while adding just enough complexity to impress your guests. The recipes are surprisingly simple to prepare, with each yielding enough to dress a full dozen oysters.
"Simple, bright, and guaranteed to impress," says Young about her collection of festive garnishes. "They're easy to prepare and elevate your oysters without overpowering them."
Five Show-Stopping Oyster Garnish Recipes
Toasted Pepper Mignonette
Sometimes the simplest approach delivers the most satisfying results. This mignonette recipe stands as Chef Young's personal favourite among the collection. The secret lies in sourcing the highest quality red wine vinegar available.
Ingredients: 1 finely diced shallot, 100ml premium red wine vinegar, 3 fresh cracks of lightly toasted black pepper.
Method: Combine all ingredients thoroughly and spoon over freshly shucked oysters immediately before serving.
Strawberry Vierge
This vibrant creation makes perfect use of Australia's peak strawberry season, combining sweet fruit with savoury notes for a truly unique oyster experience.
Ingredients: 4 finely diced strawberries, pinch of salt and black pepper, 1 tablespoon quality red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons peppery extra virgin olive oil, tarragon or basil oil for garnish.
Method: Season the diced strawberries with salt and pepper before dressing with vinegar and olive oil. Spoon the mixture over oysters and finish with drops of herb oil.
Grapefruit & Orange Blossom Granita
Ideal for hot Australian summer days, this refreshing granita brings bright citrus notes and a delightful texture contrast to your oyster presentation.
Ingredients: 130ml water, 50g white sugar, 300ml strained ruby grapefruit juice (approximately 2 large grapefruits), ½ tablespoon orange blossom water, grapefruit zest for serving.
Method: Heat water and sugar until dissolved and simmering. Combine the syrup with grapefruit juice and orange blossom water. Freeze in a shallow tray until completely set (best prepared the day before). Scrape with a fork to create granita texture, spoon over oysters, and finish with grapefruit zest.
Buttermilk, Horseradish & Dill
This combination offers incredible freshness with minimal effort, creating a beautiful marbled effect that looks as impressive as it tastes.
Ingredients: 100ml buttermilk, 30ml dill oil, freshly grated horseradish.
Method: Gently combine buttermilk and dill oil with one stir to achieve a marbled green-and-white effect. Drain excess liquid from oysters, spoon over the dressing, and finish with freshly grated horseradish.
A la Grecque & Wild Fennel
This aromatic dressing balances spice and acidity beautifully, creating a sophisticated flavour profile that will have guests asking for your secret.
Ingredients: 100ml chardonnay vinegar or quality white wine vinegar, pinch of saffron, ½ finely chopped shallot, ½ deseeded and finely chopped long red chilli, 3 finely chopped thyme sprigs, juice of ½ lemon, ¼ teaspoon toasted and ground coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon toasted and ground fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon toasted and ground white peppercorns, 1 finely grated garlic clove, 230ml extra virgin olive oil, salt to taste, wild fennel fronds and flowers for garnish.
Method: Warm vinegar slightly in a pan over low heat and bloom the saffron. Add all remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Adjust with extra lemon if needed and garnish with fresh fennel fronds.
Pro Tips for Perfect Results
Chef Young emphasizes two crucial tips for achieving restaurant-quality results at home. First, while ground spices work in a pinch, toasting and grinding whole spices always delivers brighter, fresher flavours. Second, a homemade green herb oil serves as a chef's secret weapon for adding colour, freshness and flavour to numerous dishes.
For the herb oil, combine 200g picked soft green herbs (basil, tarragon, dill, parsley or whatever you have available) with 250ml vegetable oil and 150ml extra virgin olive oil. Blanch herbs in boiling water for 10 seconds, refresh in ice water, squeeze out excess water, then blend with oils for 2 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter-lined strainer in the refrigerator for one hour before using.
These oyster garnish recipes from Chef Blaze Young provide the perfect inspiration for your Australian summer entertaining, ensuring your festive seafood spread becomes the talk of the party season.
