Fried oysters are a real treat. Until recently I thought of them as a food only to bought "out". I discovered the lure of the oyster fried at home and haven't looked back. I have tried both pre-shucked oysters (better than no oyster) and ones shucked to order (by me) for frying. There is no doubt that the home-shucked oyster yields a better result. However, if all you have is oysters by the pint, it's better than going without. I use a 50/50 blend of olive oil and canola to fry these babies.
Ingredients
- 1 pinch saffron
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 12 oysters, shucked
- 1 1/2 cups wondra flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- oil, for deep-frying
Directions
- In a medium bowl, steep the saffron in the water for 1 minute. Put the oils in a measuring cup or small pitcher. Add the egg yolk to the bowl and beat with a whisk or electric mixer (handheld mixer). With the mixer running, or while whisking madly, drizzle the oil in slowly until the mixture starts to thicken. Once it's begins to thicken, you can increase the speed at which you add the oil. When all the oil has been added, add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Fried Oysters
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan, wok, or deep skillet to 325°F.
- While the oil is heating, combine the flour, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Toss the oysters in the flour mixture.
- When the oil reaches 325°F, fry half the oysters until golden—about 4 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Let the oil return to 325°F and fry the remainder of the oysters.
- Sprinkle oysters with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Serve with saffron aioli.
