Southwest Fried Oysters Recipes

BEST SOUTHERN CRISPY FRIED OYSTERS

Steps:

• While the oil heats, pour the oysters into a colander or strainer and let them drain. Then, rinse with fresh water to wash off any debris or shell fragments.
• Pour the buttermilk into a medium-sized bowl and dunk the drained oysters.
• Place the cornmeal, flour, creole seasoning, and salt in a shallow bowl or pie plate and whisk to combine.
• Remove the oysters from the buttermilk one at a time and dredge them in the cornmeal mixture. Toss gently and make sure they are well coated, then shake any excess breading off.
• Place the coated oysters on a metal cooling rack until all of them have been coated. Letting them sit for a few minutes helps to fuse the breading and buttermilk and keeps the breading from falling off when they are fried.
• Place a large stockpot, Dutch oven, or cast iron skillet with high sides over medium-high heat and add one to two inches of oil.
• Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer to test the oil temperature, and when it reaches 370 °F, carefully add the oysters, one at a time to fry. Depending on the size of your pan, it works best to fry in batches and only cook six to eight at a time. You do not want to crowd them. (Maintain a consistent heat of 370 °F by increasing or decreasing the heat under the pan.)
• Let the oysters fry for about two to three minutes, stirring occasionally or until the breading is light golden brown and the meat is opaque with the edges slightly curled. Use a wire kitchen spider or slotted spoon to remove them from the oil. Place on a paper towel or wire cooling rack to drain.
• Repeat until all of the oysters are fried and serve immediately. Optional, garnish with fresh lemon or lime slices and serve with your choice of sauce and sides.

BUTTER-FRIED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then raise the heat a little and cook at a bare simmer for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then pour through a fine-meshed strainer. (Save any milky juices, solids or foam left behind to add to rice or vegetables.) The clarified butter can be kept in a covered jar in the refrigerator for several weeks.
• Remove the crusts from the French loaf. Tear the bread into chunks and pulse in a food processor or blender to make about 4 cups of crumbs. The crumbs will keep in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for several days, or for longer in the freezer, tightly wrapped.
• Season the flour generously with salt and pepper. Dip the oysters in the flour and then in the beaten eggs. Spread a layer of bread crumbs on a baking sheet. Place the oysters on the sheet and sprinkle with more crumbs. Roll the oysters in the crumbs so that they are well coated, adding more if necessary.
• Heat a wide cast-iron skillet over a medium-high flame. Add clarified butter to a depth of 1/2 inch. Toss in a bread crumb - if it browns quickly the butter is hot enough. Carefully slip in breaded oysters in a single layer, frying in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Adjust the heat to keep the oysters gently bubbling in the butter. It should take about 2 minutes to get a golden, crisp coating. Turn the oysters and brown the other side, then drain on kitchen towels. Serve hot with red-pepper mayonnaise, lemon wedges and arugula or watercress, if you like.

CRISPY OVEN-FRIED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, whisk eggs. In a third bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and garlic salt. , Coat oysters with flour mixture, then dip in eggs, and coat with crumb mixture. Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; drizzle with oil., Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise ingredients. Serve with oysters.

SOUTHWEST FRIED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Combine oysters and buttermilk in a large heavy-duty zip-lock plastic freezer bag.
• Seal bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Drain oysters well.
• In a shallow pan, combine the flour and next 9 ingredients.
• Dredge oysters in flour mixture; shake off excess.
• Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch in a Dutch oven; heat to 370°.
• Fry oysters in batches, 3 minutes or until golden; drain on paper towels.
• Serve immediately.