I have always loved my oysters raw, on a half shell, chilled with dash of horseradish and a touch of cocktail sauce. Anyone who's eaten at the Grand Central Oyster Bar at New York City knows what I'm talking about.
On the odd occasion I may be convinced to eat a plate of Oysters Rockefeller but that's about where I drew the line. Until I moved to the Southern United States....You see in the South they sure like their food fried. It doesn't matter if its okras, tomatoes, chicken or seafood. Dip it and fry it! And the deeper you get South the more so it holds true.
On a trip to Shreveport, Louisiana - this little town in the boondocks that boasts a floating casino on the Mississippi river is where I tried my first plate of deep fried oysters sitting right next to that plate of blackened alligator - blackened now, not fried.
I think my eating habits embarrass my folks some, because they're not sure what I'll be urging them to try next and in what company!
Anyway, back to those oysters - southern style oysters are nothing like batter dipped fried fish or shrimp. They are in fact fried in cornmeal and seasonings which give them a coarse and crusty coating. This contrasts well with the moist juicy flesh of the oyster inside.
Subsequently, scallops and shrimp are also fried the same way. Now I don't make these often but they make a nice change and addition to ones Oyster repertoire. They are delish when served with a Zingy Remoulade sauce
The ingredients are - fresh shucked oysters (from a seafood market), corn meal, all-purpose flour and Whatever Whenever dry rub or store-bought Cajun seasoning, salt. Also egg & milk.
In a bowl combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, the dry rub or Cajun seasoning and salt. Mix till well blended. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs with some milk. Beat with a fork till well blended.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat - oil should be about 3/4" deep. Heat oil till it is hot but not fuming. To test the oil temperature add a bread cube. It should turn brown in about 30 seconds.
Dip one oyster at a time in the egg wash. Dip thoroughly in the cornmeal mix.
Fry for approx 1-2 minutes, no more than 2 oysters at a time till golden brown.
Remove onto a plate lined with kitchen paper towels.
Serve hot on a platter with a bowl of the Zesty Remoulade sauce.
When I made these, I had no idea if my kids would even touch these and had resigned my self to having to fix chocolate chip pancakes as a last minute resort - for dinner (jeez!)
So imagine my surprise, while my husband was taking the photos for this, the kids were sneaking in and stealing the oysters off the platter. They loved it!
I have to agree, the juicy oyster with their crusty shell was perfectly flavored and the sauce just brought all the flavors home. Let me tell you, when your 3 year old and 8 year old start digging into a plate full of oysters - there's only one way to call it - a smashing success!
Recipe for
MISSISSIPPI STYLE DEEP FRIED OYSTERS
Serves 4
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Shopping list
16 oz shucked oysters
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs Whatever Whenever dry rub OR 1 tbs Cajun seasoning
1/4 tbs salt
Vegetable oil for deep-frying (1-2 cups to achieve 3/4" deep oil)
2 eggs
1/8 cup milk
Preparation -
Coating - In a bowl combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, the dry rub or Cajun seasoning and salt. Mix till well blended. Set aside.
Egg wash - In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs with some milk. Beat with a fork till well blended.
Cooking method-
Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat - oil should be about 3/4" deep. Heat oil till it is hot but not fuming. To test the oil temperature add a bread cube. It should turn brown in about 30 seconds.
Drain any liquid from the oysters. Return oyster to a bowl.
Dip one oyster at a time in the egg wash. Dip & roll thoroughly in the cornmeal mix to coat completely.
Fry for approx 1-2 minutes, no more than 2 oysters at a time till golden brown.
Remove onto a plate lined with kitchen paper towels.
Enjoy with Zingy Remoulade sauce!
Shopping list
- 1 ½ tbs Paprika
- 2 tbs Brown sugar
- 1 tbs Garlic powder
- 1/2 tbs Black pepper
- 1 tbs Onion powder
- 1/2 tbs Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 tbs Turmeric
- 1/2 tbs cumin powder
- 1-1/2 tbs salt
Preparation
Place all ingredients, one by one in a screw top glass jar or any plastic container with tight lid. Close lid tightly and shake for 30 seconds vigorously to combine all above ingredients in a thoroughly dry airtight container.
Store in a dry and cool place.
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