Fried Oysters

[pistolabella]

For some reason, preparing seafood at home has always seemed a daunting, if not terrifying task to me. I can cook a piece of fish, but anything beyond that? I'm scared i'll either poison my boyfriend or feed him a repugnant f-up of a concoction. That being said, I've never made anything at home involving oysters. I am going to attempt a recipe for fried oysters with some type of "topping" (I'm still perusing recipes - variants of creme fraiche, caviar, keep appearing).

However, I really can't wrap my head around the cooking process. The language in the coupla recipes I've seen vary. One says steam them, then "shuck" them open, then fry them, one says shuck them and fry them. Does anyone have an easy to explain method on fried oysters? Additionally, when buying oysters, is there need to buy extra in preparation for the fact that not all will be usable, (such as with mussels)?

If anyone has a good link or any advice, I (and my boyfriend) will be quite grateful.

[JohnnyH]

For some reason, preparing seafood at home has always seemed a daunting, if not terrifying task to me.  I can cook a piece of fish, but anything beyond that? I'm scared i'll either poison my boyfriend or feed him a repugnant f-up of a concoction. That being said,  I've never made anything at home involving oysters. I am going to attempt a recipe for fried oysters with some type of "topping" (I'm still perusing recipes - variants of creme fraiche, caviar, keep appearing).

  However, I really can't wrap my head around the cooking process. The language in the coupla recipes I've seen vary. One says steam them, then "shuck" them open, then fry them, one says shuck them and fry them. Does anyone have an easy to explain method on fried oysters? Additionally, when buying oysters, is there need to buy extra in preparation for the fact that not all will be usable, (such as with mussels)?

If anyone has a good link or any advice, I (and my boyfriend) will be quite grateful.

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I think the recommendation to steam before shucking is intended to make the shucking process itself easier, since the shells will open from the steam. If you can shuck an oyster otherwise, I'd forgo that step entirely. Note, though, that oysters are harder to open than clams b/c their shells are not regular -- if you don't know what you're doing, you are very likely to end up with shell shrapnel in your product. Make sure you hold the victim in a folded tea towel too -- you don't want to send your knife through your hand.

[LRunkle]

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/vie...-Oysters-237365

I have found the above battered fried oyster recipe really good. It is like a tempura batter. Some of the pitfalls I have encounterd with frying oysters are: 1) Overcooking-it takes only a minute or two to cook an oyster in deep fat-much longer and they get tough. If you decide to use panko bread crumbs(which I often use) you can "prebrown" them in the oven. I have had good luck with the classic three station breading technique-flour...egg wash or buttermilk.... breadcrumbs. I cut really big oysters in half so I am cooking same-sized stuff. 2) You have to really agitate and inspect oysters with each step of breading or battering because their surfaces are so convoluted.

[djyee100]

Additionally, when buying oysters, is there need to buy extra in preparation for the fact that not all will be usable

I might buy a little more. It really depends on the quality of your purveyor and how fresh the oysters are.

Some people can guess dead oysters in the shell because those oysters are noticeably lighter in weight than live ones. Then when you open the shell, the dead oyster will smell unpleasant--like low tide. Ugh. Throw those ones out.

My fishmonger will give me good oysters to replace the spoiled ones free of charge the next time I'm at the store. I just tell them that one or two oysters were spoiled in the last batch, and they take my word for it.

[pistolabella]

Additionally, when buying oysters, is there need to buy extra in preparation for the fact that not all will be usable

Some people can guess dead oysters in the shell because those oysters are noticeably lighter in weight than live ones. Then when you open the shell, the dead oyster will smell unpleasant--like low tide. Ugh. Throw those ones out.

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Good to know! The fish market where I shop visits their boats in Louisiana a couple times weekly, and everything I've has in the past has been very good. Thanks everyone for the advice; I'm giving it a whirl tonight so wish me luck!

[DTBarton]

For opening oysters in the shell, you don't need to steam them to make it easier. Wash the oysters and put them in a bucket. Cover them with hot tap water. Within a few seconds they will be much easier to open. Put the knife to the oyster at the hinge end, not the sharp thin end. And a towel or glove is a good idea. Also, I really like the knife to be stiff, some of the thin knives in the stores are too flexible.

All that said, I use already shucked oysters when frying. Here in Maryland, we can get very nice shucked oysters in pints and quarts. Oysters hold up well if they're kept in ice in the jars. I like to buy the larger ones (or selects) for frying. I'll eat one raw and see if they need some salt. Oysters from the middle Chesapeake Bay are nice but not salty like ocean oysters.

I bread them like I did years ago at a seafood restaurant. This also allows you to do the first breading ahead of time. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. I use a blend of corn meal, self rising flour, and panko bread crumbs in about equal amounts. Add some salt and pepper to the breading. Dredge the oysters thoroughly in the breading and put on the cookie sheet. Cover the breaded oysters with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to cook.

I use a large skillet with about 1/4 of an inch of peanut oil in it. This uses much less oil than deep frying and I've found it doesn't hurt the finished product. It does mean you have to turn the oysters once while they're cooking. Make a fresh batch of breading mixture. Dredge they oysters in the breading again and put in the hot pan.

About 2 minutes a side should do it. The oil should be hot enough that the oysters start frying and bubbling immediately when you put them in the pan, so try one first and if it's not hot enough, let it heat up. Fry in small batches without crowding the pan. Drain on paper towels and enjoy.

[budrichard]

Shelling your own oysters is usually more costly than fresh shucked oysters. By law they will have an expiration date on the can/top. Pop the top, dry with paper towel, flour, egg, breading/seasoning and fry in peanut oil. Really simple, great for Po' Boys. The Acme Oyster House is my favorite.-Dick

[David Ross]

Hope your oyster frying quest went well.

You mentioned that your fish market gets regular deliveries of fresh oysters from Louisiana. That's great start for anyone who is frying oysters for the first time-you have to use fresh oysters. And as others have mentioned, if you can find jars of pre-shucked, fresh oysters, buy them. Pre-shucked oysters save you the time and drama of shucking them yourself, and if they are fresh, (as indicated on the date on the jar), they'll be just fine.

I happen to live in the Pacific Northwest where we always have a supply of fresh-pre-shucked oysters. I prefer what we call "extra-small" or "petite" oysters. They fry up quickly, and I like the crispy outer texture and soft interior of a small nugget of fried oyster.

I use a very simple method for frying oysters. I take the oysters out of the jar, and pour them, (along with the juices in the jar), into a bowl with a little cold water. The liquid serves as the liquid element you would add if you were making a batter. The next step I use is dredging the oysters in all-purpose flour that I season with cayenne, black pepper and Paul Prudhomme Cajun "Magic" seasoning blend. I put the dredged oysters on a cookie sheet and cool them in the fridge about an hour, then dredge them a second time just before frying.

I use a very old electric skillet set to 375 for frying the oysters. I typically use canola oil for frying oysters because I prefer a bland oil over a stronger flavored oil like peanut oil. The oysters fry very quickly, no more than two minutes per side. Remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels for a few seconds and serve them straight away.

While I use the same method every time I fry oysters, I do change the sauce I serve with them. Most of the time I only serve fresh lemon wedges with the oysters, but on occasion I'll serve them with homemade tartar sauce or "green goddess" salad dressing.

Here are some photos of my fried oysters:

Fried oysters served with lemon and salad:

Fried oysters served on top of pasta:

[budrichard]

Now you did it! I have to find some oysters for a fry!-Dick

[HungryC]

Buy 'em already shucked, save yourself the trouble of learning to shuck and fry on the same dish....frying is my favorite way to eat oysters, by far. Corn flour, or a mix of flour & a little fine cornmeal makes for a crispy coating. Peanut oil is my seafood frying oil of choice, but lard is also an excellent oyster-frying medium.

[Starkman]

Ah, Mr. David Ross...them oysters look exxxxtra delicious!

Starkman

[DTBarton]

Here's an Asian inspired fried oyster recipe that many of my friends and family have really liked. I got the idea for this from a dish served at a long gone (and sorely missed) Chinese restaurant called the Ming Gate in, of all places, Hampton, Virginia.

Make a Chinese style dressing any way you like. I use soy sauce, rice vinegar, a little fish sauce, brown vinegar, diced garlic, diced ginger, diced cilantro, a few diced hot peppers (serrano works well), a little hot bean paste and a little sesame oil. Make the dressing early and let it marry for a while, stirring occasionally.

Shred a nice bed of iceberg lettuce. Put hot fried oysters on top. Spoon the dressing over it all. The cold crunchy lettuce with the hot crunchy oysters and the spicy sauce are a great combination.

[David Ross]

Ah, Mr. David Ross...them oysters look exxxxtra delicious!

Starkman

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Thanks. I've been cooking and eating oysters for around 40 years so I figure I should know a bit about how to do both!

While my home-fried oysters are quite good, they don't compare to the oysters at "Dan and Louis Oyster Bar" in downtown Portland, Oregon. They've been frying up oysters for about a 100 years!

[Nawlins]

In New Orleans, the only way to get oysters in the shell would be to buy a sack. If you are going to fry them, your seafood store should be able to get them already shucked. They usually come in a quart.

We use flour and cornmeal as a coating. A batter would be way too heavy a coating.