Finally, here’s the recipe for Fried Richmond Oysters. Like all good traditional southern recipes, this has more suggestions than strict measurements. Telling y’all what to do would just be rude.
You’ll need:
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Shelled oysters, in their juice.
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Small container of buttermilk.
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Oil for frying, one that’s good for high heat. Think peanut, not olive.
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High-quality fine-ground cornmeal, flour, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay
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Brown grocery paper bag for draining
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Fresh lemon
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Sassy Sauce
You may want to:
Drain oysters, then place in a bowl and cover with buttermilk.
Mix your Sassy Sauce- ½ cup Duke’s mayonnaise, about 1 teaspoon sriracha, 1 ½ fresh lemon juice, a dash of Old Bay. Taste and adjust the lemon and sriracha amounts for your preferred level of acid and heat. Chill while making the oysters.
Mix the breading, use about 1 cup of cornmeal, ¼ cup of flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne or chipotle pepper, and ½ teaspoon of Old Bay. Mix well and place on a large plate.
Remove oysters from buttermilk with one hand, and dredge into breading with the other until the oyster is fully coated. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat until you have enough to fry two batches.
Meanwhile, add three inches of oil to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, until the oil is 375. Use an instant-read thermometer to test the oil, or drop a bit of flour in it. If the flour sizzles, it’s ready. (I use a deep fryer, which I would highly recommend.)
Quickly and carefully add the first batch to the oil (don’t crowd) and cook for 1-2 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size and amount of oysters going in the pot but shoot for 90 seconds. When in doubt, under-cook. The whole trick to this recipe is to use fresh oysters and cook them quickly. You cook them for more than two minutes and I will track you down, and we will have a conversation, bless your heart.
Drain the first batch on a brown paper bag, and start the next batch when the oil reheats to 375.
Serve when the second batch is done, top with a squeeze of fresh lemon, and serve. Extra tasty with Sassy Sauce.
Enjoy!