Fried Oysters
Fried Oysters are a southern staple, especially for special occasions. I watched my mother-in-law make them every year as part of an extensive spread of Christmas Eve dinner favorites. They were always eaten with creamy coleslaw.
Serves: 4 (about 3 oysters per serving)
Prep Time: 30 minutes plus 3 hours chilling
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
1 pint of shucked oysters in their liquid
3 large eggs
6 oz. (about 1½ sleeves) of saltine crackers, finely crushed, divided
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 oz. (1½ sticks) margarine (Parkay, Fleischmann’s, Imperial, or another baking margarine – do not use tub margarine!)
3 oz. solid vegetable shortening
Crushed Maldon sea salt for garnish
Drain oysters in a strainer over a large bowl. Remove the firm, white adductor muscle from each oyster and discard (see image 1 - it will look and feel like a slice of water chestnut.) Set oysters aside. Add the eggs, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the oyster liquid and whisk to completely combine. Add oysters and enough cracker crumbs to thicken slightly (about ½ cup - see image 2) and let stand several minutes to completely hydrate the crumbs.
Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper, sprinkle a thin layer of dry crumbs on the paper, and set aside. Put remaining crumbs in a shallow bowl or baking sheet. Put some dry cracker crumbs in the palm of one hand and put 1 oyster on top along with a little bit of the wet egg/cracker mixture and pat more dry crumbs on top to make an oval patty (see image 3). Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 2-3 hours.
In a 12” heavy skillet, melt margarine and shortening over medium-high heat. When fat is thoroughly melted and begins to bubble, carefully add half the crumbed oysters, making sure not to crowd them in the pan. Fry oysters until deep golden brown on both sides, turning gently once or twice. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining oysters.
Serve warm with creamy coleslaw and sprinkle with crushed Maldon sea salt.
These reheat well in a toaster oven set to 300° for 5-7 minutes; do not freeze leftovers.
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I never ate an oyster until after I got married. It’s still a stretch for me to eat them raw, but I’ve grown to enjoy them grilled, broiled, and fried Mom’s way. She took pride in making them exactly like her mother taught her. After gently and patiently shaping an entire quart into neat, consistently sized oval cakes - an entire baking sheet full - they were refrigerated until almost everything else was ready to serve. Oysters were always the last food to cook and Mom was the only one allowed to fry them. The refrigerator was always packed on Christmas Eve (we usually had 10-12 people, but enough food for a small army), so fitting a full tray in meant balancing it precariously on top of other things. Everyone was extremely careful opening the refrigerator. Mostly. The one year I forgot is burned into my memory - I flung the fridge door open to see the entire tray of meticulously crafted cakes fall to the floor into a mess of cracker crumbs, waxed paper, and limp grey oysters. There was no saving them. I stood staring, mortified, while Mom was monetarily speechless and almost in shock. The rest of the family went silent. I never made that mistake again and was reminded of the incident every year after. (I guess you could say my mishap started a new family tradition…) As time went on Mom let me help, so the tradition lives on in our home.
The way Mom made them is rather unique. Most are breaded or battered and either deep or shallow fried. Many use cornmeal, flour, or bread crumbs and a variety of seasonings. These use a few simple ingredients, keeping the delicate, creamy, salty nature of the oysters intact. Saltines are a must; don’t substitute no-salt versions or use another type of cracker. And don’t drop the tray.