Fried Oysters with Remoulade

 

These crunchy fried oysters are an elegant, fun appetizer. They are served with a creamy remoulade made with mayonnaise, horseradish, capers, hot sauce, and Creole mustard— the perfect dipper for the crispy oysters. Even better, this recipe adjusts easily; for a smaller group just cut it half. Or turn this into a meal and make oyster po' boys: Cut 6 (6-inch) French rolls crosswise, and toast the rolls. Spread the rémoulade evenly on bottoms of the rolls, and top with the fried oysters, chopped lettuce and tomatoes, and dill pickles. Serve immediately.

By Jasmine Smith

 

Photo: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

Active Time:

25 mins

 

Total Time:

35 mins

 

Servings:

6

  

Ingredients

For the rémoulade:

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 ½ tablespoons grated fresh horseradish

1 ½ tablespoons chopped drained capers

1 ½ tablespoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

1 tablespoon Creole mustard

½ teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest plus 1 1/2 tsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon)

½ teaspoon  paprika

1 small garlic clove, grated with a Microplane

For the fried oysters:

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup whole buttermilk

2 tablespoons  hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

48 fresh shucked oysters (from about two 16-ounce containers), drained and patted dry

1 ½ cups (about 5 5/8 ounces) plain yellow cornmeal

¾ cup (about 3 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

Thinly sliced fresh chives, for garnishing

Directions

Make the rémoulade:

1. Stir together mayonnaise, parsley, horseradish, capers, hot sauce, mustard, lemon zest and juice, paprika, and garlic in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make the fried oysters:

1. Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large Dutch oven; heat oil over medium until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F.

2. Meanwhile, stir together buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow bowl. Add oysters to mixture; let stand 10 minutes. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, and Creole seasoning in a separate shallow bowl.

3. Working in small batches, remove oysters from buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip back into bowl. Coat oysters evenly with cornmeal mixture, and place on a large baking sheet. Working in 3 batches (16 oysters per batch), fry oysters in hot oil, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer oysters to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Garnish oysters with chives, and serve immediately with Rémoulade.

 

 References:

Food&Wine