Fried Oysters

Ingredients

• oysters
• cracker-crumbs rolled very fine
• salt
• cayenne pepper
• an ounce or two of lard
• an equal quantity of butter

Method

1. 1

   Rinse oysters and drain.

2. 2

   Season cracker-crumbs with salt and cayenne.

3. 3

   Dip each oyster in beaten egg, roll in cracker-crumbs, and fry in hot lard and butter until browned on both sides.

Nutrition per serving

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cooking and castle-building (1880) by Emma P. Ewing, Marietta McPherson Greenough, page 70. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

salt, and piled one slice upon another that some of the water might be drawn from the plant, it was allowed to stand for half an hour. The slices were then 166 COOKING AND CASTLE-BUILDING. wiped dry, dusted very lightly with pepper, and freely with flour, and fried until thoroughly done, and nicely brown, in a small quantity of fat. For frying nearly everything of this sort, a thick cast- iron pan or spider is much better than one made of lighter metal. Equal proportions of lard and butter I And better for frying than either lard or butter alone. A small quantity should be first placed in the pan or spider, and, when hot, the slices of veo'etaJ^les should be laid in. AVhen nicely browned they should be turned, and more of the butter and lard added. Egg-plant will soak a great deal of fat, if permitted to do so. I there- fore put in at first only enough to fry one side ; and add sparingly, from time to time, as is neces- sary. It is well to have a cup "of this butter and lard mixture at hand, melted and hot, so that you can put it in the pan when required. To prevent the slices soaking fat, some cooks coat them with egg and bread-crumbs ; but I can't see that any- thing is gained by the operation, as the coating absorbs a good deal of grease, which is eaten with the egg-plant ; and when cooked in this way it is lial)le to be underdone, as it requires much more cooking with, than without the coating of crumbs. I also think it far more palatable without the crumbs ; but as tastes difler, there is no harm in trying both methods." " I am exceedhigly fond of egg-plant fried with- EDIBLES AND EDUCATION. 1G7 out egg and crumbs," observed Emeline, ''and think it one of the best of breakfast-dishes. With me it takes the place of meat. May I trouble you for another slice ? " " Give ma fried squash this time, Cousin Kate," said Alice, adding in a mock tone of pity, " Poor mannna ! to be victimized in this way, and made to praise fried squash so enthusiastically, all for the sake of Cousin Kate's horrid cook-book, is too bad ! It is positively cruel, I declare ! " " Fried squash ! " interrupted Emeline. " What do you mean ? " " AYhy simply this," I explained. "That sum- mer squash, or cymlin, when fried in the same manner as egg-plant, is a good substitute — " "And not always detected as a substitute," interrupted Alice, mischievously. " In fact, is sometimes mistaken for the genuine article by those very fond of egg-plant." "Which means, I suppose," said Emeline, "that this delicious dish I have been eating and praising, is fried squash, — something I never heard of before." " Exactly," I rejoined ; " and by many preferred to egg-plant, on account of being a less hearty food, and having a more delicate flavor. Toma- toes, not over-rij)e, cut in thick slices, and fried in the same manner, are very nice. The tomato should ho sliced, seasoned, dusted with flour, and 168 COOKING AND CASTLE-BUILDING. fried immediately. The skin should be left on, to prevent the slices from coming to pieces." "Kate," said Emeline, "you certainly excel as a fryer, — or, fryist, or whatever the proper term may l3e. From fried chicken down to fried squash, all your fries are admirable ; and if your methods were generally adopted, such a revolution would take place in that sadly abused mode of preparing food, that the frying-pan would again come into as general use as in the days of our grandmothers. Oysters fried after your recipe I always forget to praise, in my eagerness to enjoy." "And yet, Emeline, I have in several instances given my exact method of frying oysters to friends, and w^ien the black, greasy things came upon the table, althousfh I could not recoo-nize them as the legitimate result of my method at all, the hostess invariably insisted that my directions had been followed to the minutest particular. This is a somewhat discouraging experience for one contem- plating writing a cook-book. Nevertheless, I suppose I shall go on telling people how to cook, and hopefully look to the future for better results. "For frying oysters, I like cracker-crumbs rolled very fine and sifted, so that you have almost cracker-flonr. The oysters should be taken singly, and well rinsed in tlieir own liquor, or in cold water, so that no particle of shell shall adhere to them, and laid upon a sieve or folded napkin, to EDIBLES AND EDUCATION. 169 drain. While the oysters are draining, season the cracker-crumbs with salt and cayenne pepper. Mix the seasoning very thorough!}^ with the cracker-dust ; dip each oyster in well-beaten egg, and roll it freely in the cracker. Lay it on a plate, or board, convenient to handle. Prepare in this way all the oysters before you begin to fry. A thick dripping-pan or deep griddle answers well for frying them in. When everything is ready, place in the pan an ounce or two of lard. The exact quantity required depends upon the size of the pan and the number of oysters. When the lard is boiling hot, add to it an equal quantity of butter. As soon as the butter is melted and mixed with the lard, fill the pan with oysters, laying them close together. Let the heat be enough to fry quickly, but not so great as to burn. When brown on one side, turn the oysters ; and when nicely brown on both sides, lift to a heated platter, and serve immediately. Fried oysters

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.