Fried Oysters with Spicy Rémoulade

Recipe by: Frank Stitt | from Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill

Cookstr

Course: Appetizer, Hors D'oeuvre

Total Time: Under 1 Hour

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Moderate

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

Out of all the attempts to present an exciting easy-to-eat hors d’oeuvre, few please quite like these, simple, crisp, yet juicy morsels of, as Pat Conroy says, “the sea made flesh.” We serve fried oysters “in the shell,” with the sauce resting in the bottom and the oyster sitting on top. Pass the oysters while they are still warm, and enjoy immediately!

Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

for the rémoulade:

1 cup Homemade Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon coarse mustard, such as Pommery
¼ cup chopped rinsed capers
2 tablespoons chopped cornichons
1 teaspoon chopped anchovy
2 tablespoons finely chopped blend of two herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, chives, chervil, and/or tarragon
1 scant tablespoon finely diced shallot or grated onion
½ teaspoon paprika
Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Cholula
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon

for the oysters:

3 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
2 cups cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 cups buttermilk
24 oysters, such as Apalachicola, Chesapeake, or bluepoint, shucked, bottom shells reserved, scrubbed and dried (if you have the fishmonger shuck the oysters, be sure to have him save the bottom shells)

Directions

Put the mayonnaise in a medium bowl, add the mustard, capers, cornichons anchovy, herbs, shallot, paprika, hot sauce, vinegar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and stir to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over high heat until it registers 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer.

Meanwhile, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper, and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Put the buttermilk in another shallow bowl and add the oysters. One by one, transfer the oysters from the buttermilk to the cornmeal mixture, turning to coat thoroughly, and place the oysters on a rack set over a small baking sheet.

Place a spoonful of the rémoulade in each clean oyster shell and arrange on a serving platter.

Carefully drop the oysters, in batches of about 6 at a time, into the hot oil and cook, turning once or twice, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place the fried oysters in the shells and serve.

Notes

To Drink: Sancerre, Delaporte Pouilly-Fumé, Gaudry

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information is based on 1/8 teaspoon added salt per serving, but does not include Homemade Mayonnaise. For nutritional information on Homemade Mayonnaise, please follow the link above.

Calories 615kcal (31%)

Calcium 97mg (10%)

Vitamin C 10mg (17%)

Vitamin A 23mcg RAE (1%)

Potassium 346mg

Magnesium 83mg

Protein 11g

Sugar 2g

Fiber 5g

Total Carbohydrate 44g

Cholesterol 23mg (8%)

Sodium 843mg (35%)