When it comes to cooking, simple is often best, as judges discovered while ploughing their way through the offerings of 12 teams of Knysna locals battling it out to be named Best Fish Braaier in the Pick n Pay Fish Braai Competition on Seafood Wednesday, one of the highlights of the Knysna Oyster Festival.
Each team was given a sustainable-seafood hamper containing a whole yellowtail, calamari and mussels, and access to an open pantry. Most spent their limited time grappling with the large fish.
The winners, Team Grant Sports, took top honours for their beautifully braaied yellowtail - cooked perfectly and simply seasoned. The flesh was super-succulent with that unique freshly caught taste of the sea.This was the first of a trio of competitions that evening as the crowds thronged the famed annual oyster-eating and -shucking competition.
Team Jono and Jaryd managed to shuck and eat an astonishing 14 oysters in just 60 seconds to take the title.
Team Ricki didn't manage to break the shucking record but did open a mouth-watering 30 oysters in just two minutes and 20 seconds.
Having witnessed the skills of the oyster shuckers, the crowd headed off for their share of molluscs at the fiercely contested Flavours of Knysna, where restaurants from Knysna and surrounding areas wooed the crowd for their votes for the best oyster creations.
There were oysters in sparkling wine shooters, marinated oysters, and Mexican ones with shards of deep-fried tacos. I voted for the oyster set on a circle of delectable spicy tomato jelly, the textures working well together.
Best-Dressed Oyster went to catering company Usatsho Tshisa-Nyama and Best Stand to Butterfly Blu restaurant in Brenton-on-Sea...