Each week of the August-long Love Sea Food Tastes festival foodies will have the opportunity to learn new ways to eat seafood from the Port chefs hosting cooking classes that showcase their favourite fresh catches.
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Oysters will be the focus in the first week of the festival, which is one of Lemon Tree Passage chef Ludovic Poyer's favourite seafoods to work with, and why he will host the first masterclass of the month.
"For me, oysters are the best produce in the bay," he said. "It's the freshest and best seafood you can get here."
Mr Poyer, who owns and operates The Poyer's in Lemon Tree Passage with wife Mandy, has been part of the Love Sea Food and Tastes at the Bay festivals for the past three years.
Born in Normandy, France, Mr Poyer trained in traditional French food in Paris before working in kitchens across Europe.
He discovered Australia 20 years ago and first moved to Port Stephens in 2008 where he and his family have lived ever since.
Since opening The Poyer's four years ago, Mr Poyer has sourced his oysters from Paul North, an oyster farmer for 27 years with a business in Oyster Farm Road.
Speaking about the freshness of the oysters he uses, Mr Poyer recounted a busy day when, after running out stock, he phoned Mr North who delivered a freshly caught batch of oysters to the restaurant by boat.
"You don't get fresher than that," Mr North said. "We've had a good couple of years in the Port. We're seeing fantastic oysters almost 12 months of the year."
During the masterclass at The Poyer's from 3.30pm on August 1, Mr North will speak about the different styles, varieties and availability of oysters while Mr Poyer prepares oysters with champagne, mushrooms and wasabi aoili in front of everyone.
Masterclass attendees will also have the opportunity to see a bottle of champagne opened with a sabre.
Somellier Stephanie Pommier will also speak at the masterclass, comparing French champagne with Hunter Valley sparking wine.
Mr Poyer will also be in the kitchen for the Love Sea Food Taste's Port to Plate gala dinner in Nelson Bay on August 3 and the Moonshadow-TQC Cruises Luncheon on August 24.
Fresh local fish will be the focus in week two of the festival with chef Stephen Daley hosting an ocean to table masterclass from 6pm at In House Kitchen, Nelson Bay, on August 8 and Rick Stein Bannisters Port Stephens head chef Mitchell Turner and sous chef Chris Turton holding an ocean to plate cooking class in the Salamander Bay restaurant from 12pm on August 15.
Crustaceans will take centre stage in week three of the festival.
Bluey's Restaurant head chef Craig Compton will lead a crustacean and pasta class at Broughtons at the Bay from 6pm on August 22.
Wild catch will be the focus in the the fourth and final week of the festival with The Anchorage's head chef, Michael Jenkins, hosting a tip-to-tail cooking class at the Corlette restaurant from 11am on August 24.
Attendees to Mr Jenkins' class will learn how versatile a whole fish can be and what is possible to make using every part.
Tickets to each of the cooking classes can be bought online from portstephens.org.au/seafood-cooking-classes. Book fast as spaces are limited in each class.
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