Whenever I think of my favorite food, oysters are invariably right up there in the top 10. And I used to be content with just dipping the raw oysters in beaten egg, then into salt and pepper seasoned cornmeal, and quickly fried in a modicum of vegetable oil. And to dip them in? Plain old mayonnaise.
Well the modicum of vegetable oil is still part of the equation, but the batter and dipping components have radically changed over the years. Mainly because as I’ve gotten older, my palate has become more sophisticated. Which in turn has resulted in my becoming a very picky eater. And no, not in the way “picky eater” is usually defined – unwillingness to try new dishes or even any dish that includes a small amount of food a person doesn’t like, as well as showing a strong preference for only a certain type of food. That definitely is not me!
So when I categorize myself as a picky eater, it means that every last morsel of food that hits my mouth better be pretty damned delicious! And why I have continued to search for a recipe that would provide me with oysters fried to delicious and crispy perfection. I mean really, why should I settle for anything less?!?! Well, for one reason and one reason alone. I COULDN’T PRODUCE OR FIND A RECIPE THAT TRULY WORKED FOR ME EVEN THOUGH I TRIED DOZENS OF TIMES! Plus I wanted a magnificent sauce, like the ones we experienced in New Orleans several years ago. (Didn’t realize at the time that the sauce was a rémoulade, because, well, I was born and raised in the state of Washington. What the heck did I know about fine Creole or Cajun cuisine? Well at least until we visited the fair city of New Orleans for Mardi Gras, that is!)
So bottom line, it has literally taken me decades to come up with this perfect combination. And because I would not settle for anything less than the best for you as well, I’ve refrained from posting any recipes for fried oysters or rémoulade sauce until today.
But the other night, using the fried oyster recipe from the butter-n-thyme.com site (Chef Steven), and the simplyrecipes.com site recipe for rémoulade sauce (Elise), I found the winning combination. And I am so excited to share these two marvelous recipes with you.
Of course, I changed things a bit on both recipes, but nothing of any real significance. So my sincere thanks go out to Steven and Elise. Because of you my search is over. Now I can just sit back (so to speak), pull out this recipe every time I get a hankering for fried oysters, and produce an oyster dinner fit for a king. (Or Mr. C. in this case!)
So if you too love fried oysters dipped in rémoulade sauce, give these recipes a try. Or if you are not a rémoulade fan, dip the oysters in your favorite tartar sauce or aioli. Or if you are not an oyster fan, serve the rémoulade sauce with something else. But if you are reading this post, I just have to assume you are interested in at least part of this winning combination. Of course you could just be reading this post to keep track of what that crazy Patti Carr is up to now. That’s OK too. (Hi Rebecca. G&G send our love to you and that Brady boy.)
Well that’s about all for now. Except to tell you that I’ve provided 2 recipes for Creole Seasoning and 1 recipe for Cajun Seasoning below. All 3 are great recipes. If you are going to build your own seasoning, which I would highly recommend, read the list of ingredients in each recipe and make your choice depending on which herbs and spices you own and already know you like. Whichever recipe you choose, these fried oysters and rémoulade sauce are going to be delicious. (You can probably even buy Creole or Cajun seasoning at your local grocery store. Imagine that! Perfectly acceptable alternative.)
As always, stay safe, stay positive, and keep cooking great food. Peace and love to all.
½ c. buttermilk
1 T. hot sauce (I use Frank’s RedHot)
20 oz. oysters, washed and drained (I use 2 – 10-oz. jars of oysters for the two of us)
½ c. cake flour (see recipe for homemade cake flour below)
½ c. cornmeal
2 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning (see recipes below)
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. granulated garlic
¼ tsp. granulated onion
1/8 tsp. dried oregano, crushed in the palm of your hand to release the natural oils
1/8 tsp. dried thyme, crushed in the palm of your hand to release the natural oils
vegetable oil
lemon wedges
Whisk the buttermilk and hot sauce together. Add the drained oysters, cover, and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Mix the cake flour, cornmeal, creole seasoning, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, oregano, and thyme together in a shallow pan. Taste the mixture and add more of whatever you think is missing.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a large frying pan. (I use just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.)
Remove the oysters from the buttermilk, shake a bit to remove some of the buttermilk, then place in the flour mixture. Coat both sides. Place so they are not touching each other in the hot oil. (Oil temperature should be about 360 degrees.)
Fry the first side to golden brown, then gently flip to the other side. Remove from pan and onto a paper towel lined serving plate when the second side is also nicely browned. Serve with rémoulade sauce (see recipe below), tartar sauce, or aioli. Pass lemon wedges.
LOUISIANA STYLE RÉMOULADE SAUCE
¾ c. mayonnaise
1 T. yellow mustard
1 tsp. paprika (not smoked)
1 tsp. Cajun or Creole seasoning
1 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. dill pickle juice
2 squirts hot sauce, or more to taste (I use Frank’s RedHot)
1/8 tsp. granulated garlic
Mix it up. Refrigerate until ready to use.
EMERIL’S ESSENCE CREOLE SEASONING
2½ T. paprika
2 T. salt
2 T. garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 T. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. granulated onion or onion powder
1 T. cayenne
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried thyme
Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.
CREOLE SEASONING MIX (my recipe)
1½ tsp. onion powder
1½ tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. dried thyme
½-1½ tsp. cayenne (depends on how much heat you like or can tolerate)
½ tsp. gumbo file
Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.
CAJUN SEASONING (I have no idea whose recipe this is or where I found it)
2 T. paprika
1 T. granulated onion or onion powder
1 T. granulated garlic
1 T. dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred) (If the dried oregano leaves are large, break them down a bit in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder)
1 T. dried thyme
1 T. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. kosher salt
1 tsp. cayenne
Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight container.
Cake Flour:
½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed and leveled off)
1 T. cornstarch
Place the flour in a mixing bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour and place it back in your flour container. Add the cornstarch and whisk it all together. (This aerates the mixture so the consistency is similar to “real” cake flour.)
Use in any of your recipes that call for cake flour. And yes you can double or triple, etc. this recipe.