My Dad's Fried Oysters
I know, I know, you either love the oyster, or can’t stand it. So if you have an appreciation, keep reading, if not, that’s fine too. I have loved oysters ever since I can remember. My parents use to take me to a local oyster restaurant and we would sit at the bar watching the big burly men shuck oysters at lightening fast speeds. As a little kid, I would finish off 2 dozen by myself. I loved the salty sea flavor. I have always been much more of a salty than a sweet person. Most of the time though, we bought oysters to eat at home. We ate them very often in the colder months and even had an oyster shell driveway, pretty dangerous for an accident prone little girl. I can’t remember a summer before my 12 or 13th birthday that I didn’t have scab knees all of short season.
Even though it isn’t actually necessary anymore, we still only eat oysters in the colder months. I have been in the mood for oysters for a while now. We hardly ever eat them out, because we can’t stop at just a dozen. If we fed our craving, we would go broke, so we purchase them by the half bushel at home. We eat the majority of them raw. There are many other ways to make oysters, a good stew is one of my favorites that I will share another time. I love to enjoy the oyster as close to its raw state the best. That is the beauty of this fried oyster. They are crispy on the outside and barely cooked inside, a trick I learned from my dad.I serve them with my favorite crinkle cut fries and spicy cocktail sauce.
Ingredients
- Shucked Oysters, 3-4 dozen
- 1/ cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon old bay, or any other cajun or seafood seasoning
- vegetable oil for frying
Method
- Preheat cooking oil to medium high. Combine flour, cornmeal, and seasoning in a large bowl. Toss oysters in batches, about 12 at a time, to coat well.
- Fry oysters in hot oil just until golden brown.
Tip: The sound of the frying oyster will change when it is done, when the sound changes, evacuate quickly. This should take less than a minute.
Cocktail Sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice









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Wow….looks very delicious. I love it. Oysters are expensive here. Back home in Malaysia, oyster pancakes are very popular.
Nice Angie. I love fried oysters! Only if they’re really fresh though. I might try this if I can get some really fresh ones…
these look wonderful, I do enjoy oysters!
We love oysters too. I’m happy to say that I just overheard someone say, just this week, that they boast health benefits. Never knew that.
These look yummy.
Looks good! Growing up near the coast of Maine, we used to have fried oysters or clams frequently. This reminds me how long it’s been since I’ve had some.
LOL! You’re making me hungry, Angie, and it’s a long way to lunch time!
Try using a splash of Sriracha sauce instead of, or in addition to, the Tabasco in your cocktail sauce. It adds a bit of complexity. I make mine this way and have consistently received rave reviews.
Angie replied: — March 10th, 2010 @ 11:28 am
thanks for the great tip, I’ll be sure to do that next time!
Oyster lovers UNITE! These look lovely. I can almost taste them. I just came across this recipe contest on foodista. This could be a winning entry. It’s through Moleskine (those black leather notebooks) and they’re looking for “Passed down recipes”…Just a thought. Here’s the link if you’re interested: http://www.foodista.com/moleskine?src=sparkle_h
Mmm… those oysters look super delicious!
Oh Angie I love fried oysters, and these look fabulous! Acquired this love from my dad, funny thing about oysters and dads huh? Anyhow, I had to learn how to prepare them while my mother worked evenings. Mom used flour, then egg, then cornmeal, so similar to your dad’s version.
Go Dad! Those look “popalicious”. I can’t wait to give them a try
This is a dish my husband will love! Delish!
Wow, these look so good. Your photos are looking really great, by the way. Great job!
.-= Alta´s last blog ..Mexican Chocolate Pecan Pralines =-.
Those look fabulous!! I must figure out a way to eat fried oysters again!