Noel Baggaley’s not been long back at the markets. He’s had a rough couple of years – the heat at Christmas, plus flooding are elements that oysters do not like.
But he’s back now and the oysters are fantastic! Huge creamy Pacifics measuring between 85 and 90 millimetres, and Noel is still keeping them at the absurdly low price of $25 a dozen, while shops are charging upward of $30 – a friend recently told me that she was charged $5 per oyster at an undistinguished eatery.
I’m curious to know if, as with certain foods like strawberries (although not Monty’s), the larger the oyster the more diminished the flavour, but Noel assures me that this is absolutely not the case. ‘These are full of flavour’, he tells me, ‘with a fantastic after-flavour, which is unusual for a Pacific.’ When I ask him to elaborate, he says that it’s a ‘lingering’ flavour.
He’s often asked about the Sydney rock oysters, ‘but we lost most of them for Christmas. Some will be coming back in about 12 months’ time.’ From start to finish, growing oysters is a three-year process, and Noel’s begin in the Brunswick River – their ‘nursery’ – and then are moved up to the Tweed, their finishing grounds.
His market oysters may impress me with their size, but apparently there are two sizes larger, the jumbo and the grande, reaching over 140mm in length. That’s a lot of oyster!
What, though, can be done with the shells? ‘They go to farmers,’ Noel says, ‘who use them as great road-fill.’ They’re also good as a slow-release fertiliser in gardens, all that glorious calcium. Plus, he adds, ‘the local land services have a program where they’re recycling all the shells.’
Noel suggest squeezing finger limes over the oysters – yum! – and, good news, those oyster shots will be back!
Brunswick Seed Oysters are at New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday from 8am to 11am and at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7am to 11am.
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