✍🏽 By Danielle Austin
Spoilt with pristine, sandy beaches and an endless expanse of azure horizon, the Great Southern is renowned for its incredible coastlines. Within those inviting waters hides a bounty of culinary delights, tempting those who know where to look. Among them, few are more coveted than local oysters, which thrive in the salty, nutrient rich waters of the region.
Both the Akoya oyster and the Albany Rock Oyster are bred in Great Southern waters, offering unique sensibilities to the palate. Premium producer Leeuwin Coast, a branch of the Harvest Road family, has garnered a reputation for supplying the succulent ocean delicacies to local restaurants. For Harvest Road acting chief operating officer Richard Kohne, each of the oyster varieties offers something distinctive.
“The Akoya has an ocean fresh, exquisite taste like no other shellfish,” says Richard. “Chefs describe it as having a flavour reminiscent of abalone, with the brininess and minerality of an oyster, and an underlying sweetness of a scallop.”
The Akoya oyster has traditionally been grown for pearls, with Leeuwin Coast the first producer to farm it for culinary purposes. Now, connoisseurs naturally gravitate toward the region to sample the unique sweet and salty profile of the Akoya. The Albany Rock Oyster, meanwhile, is tinged with sea salt and offers a lingering savoury flavour. While the Akoya is snap frozen after harvest, allowing it to be available year-round, the Albany Rock Oyster is only accessible during summer months when the shellfish is at its peak.
“They have gained reputation for being cream and soft, rich and briny, with a distinctive floral complexity adding to the bold, umami flavours characteristic of rock oysters,” says Richard.
Leeuwin Coast farms the shellfish in Albany’s (Kinjarling) King George Sound (Mammang Kort) and in Oyster Harbour, where it credits the combination of fresh water from the King and Kalgan Rivers and saltwater of the Southern Ocean as providing the ultimate environment for delectable shellfish. It’s a sentiment that Ocean and Paddock chef Trenton Brennan echoes. “As far as seafood goes, the Great Southern bio-region is unlike anywhere in the world and the terroir is perfect for both the Akoya and Rock oysters,” says Trenton.
“Not only do we have highly managed and sustainable fisheries but the pristine nutrient-rich waters, strong currents, and high oxygen levels allow for highly productive and diverse fisheries, free of pollutants and contamination from industry.”
Despite marketing itself as a humble fish and chip shop, Ocean and Paddock has garnered a reputation as a location for premium seafood in the Great Southern. From red snapper to shark and octopus, balanced by earthen delights such as capers from Kalgan River and tender Great Southern asparagus, local goods dominate the menu.
For Trenton, the Akoya is best served with a Vietnamese-style hot and sour glaze, and topped with fried shallots and spring onion.
“I have tried the Akoya just about every way but it’s the one recipe I always go back to and everyone loves. It’s clean and fresh with all ingredients working together in harmony, the dressing accentuates and compliments the Akoya without masking the delicate and unique flavours and textures. And I can’t go past a glass of Monty’s Leap Rosé with it. It’s light and clean but can stand alongside the slightly more robust flavours of the dish without being too overpowering or fading into the background.”
Garrison’s head chef, John Saville Wright, believes it’s the untouched nature of the region that allows shellfish to flourish.
“It’s the pristine environment that makes the Great Southern so special in terms of turning out incredible produce, and the unique climate. Visitors are always astounded by the local produce here,” he says.
The Albany-based restaurant prides itself on serving share-style dishes that highlight local produce, and while plenty of Great Southern seafood – including locally caught calamari and deep ocean fish – are on offer, the Akoya definitely holds a special place.
“At Garrison, we prepare them two ways. Our most popular preparation is the cold smoked Akoya, served with a dressing of native desert lime and river mint… There’s theatre in the serving of the oysters with that briny smoke wafting out of the cloche.”
Chef Wright recommends pairing the shellfish with local wines, pointing to the Silverstream Reserve Chardonnay as a perfect pairing and the best Chardonnay in the region, and the Cherubino Fiano as a well-balanced drop that also pairs well.
Sous chef Jesse Silver has had plenty of experience working with seafood at award-winning local restaurant Lime303, a modern-Australian eatery with a big seafood focus.
Given the choice, he’s serving up oven-baked oysters decorated with spring onion, ginger and garlic oil; alongside a chilled martini, made with vodka from Woodlands Distillery, or a pint from Wilson Brewing Company.
“We’re in a fertile region where beautiful fresh local produce grows in abundance,” says Jesse. “It’s the great community of people, suppliers and local produce that makes me love living and working in the region.”