Recipe: A Peppery Native Ingredient-Driven Dressing for Fresh Oysters

The push for sustainability in what we eat is more important than ever, but sustainability itself isn’t a new practice. Just ask Kitana Mansell, a project worker at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre who specialises in cultural foods and wellbeing.

“Aboriginal food is all based around sustainability, because we’ve had a whole culture live off native resources for thousands of generations,” says Mansell.

Working through the centre’s catering and educational program, Palawa Kipli (which literally translates to “Tasmanian Aboriginal food”), Mansell helps to create recipes that integrate native ingredients and Palawa food culture with more modern approaches to eating. For example, a mutton bird and wallaby pate marries two traditional Aboriginal food sources with a European culinary style. Palawa Kipli hosts market stalls and other community outreach (including a high-profile slot at Mona Foma), as well as providing catering that heroes native, sustainable ingredients.

“When you ask what Australian food is, you don’t hear many people say Aboriginal food,” says Mansell. “Because we were invaded and had our language and knowledge taken away from us, it’s important today for our communities to gather that information again and explore the different flavours that Tasmania has to offer in native ingredients.”

Mansell’s latest creation is a sweet and spicy oyster dressing that packs a punch using those same native ingredients. Beyond the base of grapeseed oil and brown rice vinegar, a combination of bluegum honey, kunzea salt, dried lemon myrtle and pepperberries make it truly sing – especially in combination with fresh oysters.

“This dressing is really good with the oysters because it has that fruity and spicy flavour together,” says Mansell. “Oysters are strong in their natural taste, and that fruit and spice makes it so much more flavourful.”

Kunzea salt is derived from a native plant and can be found at any spice shop. The bluegum honey is rich with a citrusy finish, while the native pepperberry provides a strong pepper kick. As for the oysters, Mansell recommends the angasi oyster, commonly found in the waters around Tasmania and South Australia, but you can use Pacific oysters as a substitute at home.

This unique recipe was also designed to pair well with a new non-alcoholic beverage, Seedlip Grove 42 & Lemongrass Tonic. The premixed RTD drink’s blend of bitter orange, mandarin, blood orange, lemongrass, ginger and lemon peel mingles beautifully with the dressing’s light, zesty flavour.

Prepared in just 10 minutes, the dressing should rest 12 hours (typically overnight) to infuse, and any leftovers will last in the fridge for up to four weeks. It’s a quick and approachable way to try out traditional native ingredients – and share them with mates and family too.

Lemon myrtle and pepperberry dressing
Makes enough for 36 oysters
Preparation time: 10 minutes (plus 12 hours to infuse)

Ingredients
1 cup grapeseed oil
2 tsp dried lemon myrtle
1/3 cup brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp bluegum honey
1 tsp kunzea salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp native pepperberries

Method
Gently warm the grapeseed oil over low heat and add the dried lemon myrtle leaves. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. Place the vinegar, honey, kunzea salt and pepperberries in a blender. Blitz until ingredients are completely combined. Add the infused lemon myrtle oil and pulse to emulsify.

Drink the premixed Seedlip Grove 42 & Lemongrass Tonic RTD cold straight from the can, or pour into a highball glass over ice and garnish with an orange slice.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Seedlip.