Ingredients
Method
- 1. Shuck the oysters first - this keeps your bench work clean and contained before plating begins. Discard the flat-top shell. Check each oyster for shell fragments and tip away any excess liquid. The oyster should sit in its own natural brine in the deeper cup shell. Refrigerate on a tray until needed. Oysters shucked that morning will hold well for up to 2-4 hours.2. Remove the desert limes from the freezer. Thinly slice immediately into 1-2mm rounds using a sharp knife - the limes are firm when frozen and cut cleanly. You need 2 rounds per oyster, 36 slices in total. Set aside on a small plate.3. After 10 minutes the desert limes will have defrosted but will still be cold and just beginning to release juice. This is the moment to plate.4. If using fresh finger limes, halve and squeeze or scoop the green pearls into a small bowl. If using frozen pearls, remove from the freezer at the same time as the desert limes and allow to thaw at room temperature. You need approximately half a teaspoon of pearls per oyster.5. Arrange the oyster shells on a an individual or share plate or piece of slate. Place 2 rounds of desert lime on each oyster. Scatter a small amount of green finger lime pearls over each. Finish with 2-3 sea salt flakes.6. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve on a chilled slate or grey stone surface - the shell colour reads best against a neutral background.
- No mignonette, no lemon wedge - the desert lime and finger lime carry all the acid the oyster needs.
- Pair with a cold glass of Eden Valley Riesling or a dry Tasmanian sparkling.
- If serving as part of a larger raw shellfish plate, pair alongside Abrolhos scallop crudo.
- Desert limes vary in size - thinly slicing at 1-2mm removes any portion inconsistency that comes from halving. Two rounds per oyster is the right amount; more tips the balance toward acid.
- The 10-minute window matters. At 10 minutes the lime is defrosted enough to release juice onto the oyster brine but still cold enough to provide a temperature contrast. Beyond 15 minutes the lime softens and loses its structure on the plate.
- Frozen finger lime pearls work perfectly here. Remove them from the freezer alongside the desert limes and allow 10 minutes to thaw at room temperature. They hold their structure and release juice just as well as fresh.
- Smoky Bay oysters are grown in the upper Spencer Gulf, South Australia. Their clean, briny flavour comes from the cold, clear waters of the Eyre Peninsula. Source through Fair Seafood when available.
- Variation: replace the desert lime with a small quenelle of lemon sorbet (approximately 3-4gm) placed directly on the oyster. It must go on at the absolute last second - it begins melting within 2 minutes. The finger lime pearls and sea salt finish remain the same.
- Pacific oysters or Sydney rock oysters work in place of Smoky Bay if unavailable - adjust the desert lime quantity to the size of the oyster.
- Also worth trying: GEOFF’s Abrolhos Scallop Crudo with Desert Lime and Orange Zest, and GEOFF’s Mussels with a Tomato Base - both works well on a shared raw and cooked shellfish plate.
- These oysters must be eaten the moment they are plated. Do not prepare in advance.
- Freshly shucked oysters can be held on ice in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours before serving, covered with a damp cloth.
- Do not add the desert lime or finger lime pearls until the moment of plating.