Perfect-Every-Time Pan fried Oysters

When I find a particularly good dish preparation in a restaurant, it is not unusual for me to attempt some version of it at home. One of our favorite Portland eateries, Wildwood (now mourned,) used to serve fantastic cornmeal crusted, pan fried Wilappa Bay oysters. I tried quite a few times to cook them at home, with uniformly awful results; the oysters were either under or over-cooked, and the coating of egg wash and cornmeal was a half-fallen-off greasy glob. One Saturday afternoon after buying some Wilappa's at the farmer's market, I Googled pan fried oysters. Needless to say, there were tons of links to recipes, but one at the bottom of the results page caught my eye. The subtext read, "perfect pan fried oysters every time!"

They weren't kidding. Here's my version.

Ingredients: (serves two for main course, four as an appetizer)

1 8-ounce container of extra-small Wilappa Bay oysters (or similar)

Panko (Japanese crispy breadcrumbs)

1 egg, beaten

Canola oil

1/4 tsp unsalted butter
Sea salt and black pepper

There are two things in this preparation that I did not see in any of the other recipes. First, the oysters are blanched first. Second, they are left in the egg wash and then the breading for a carefully measured period of time.

Dump the oysters into a medium-sized pot of lightly salted water that has been brought to a full boil. Blanch for one minute, then drain them in a colander until cool.

Place a cup or so of Panko into a gallon plastic baggie. Add salt and pepper to the egg wash. Take the cooled oysters an place them in a small bowl with the beaten egg, which should just cover the oysters. Let sit for five minutes, then stir the mixture so all oysters get equally soaked. Let sit for five more minutes.

Place the oysters in the bag with the Panko and shake thoroughly until all the oysters are well coated. Lay the oysters carefully on a sheet of waxed paper. Let them sit for exactly five minutes. Sprinkle a little more Panko over any spots that look thin, then carefully turn them over. Sprinkle them with a bit more Panko and let sit for another five minutes.

Heat about 1/4 cup of canola oil  until it is wavy but not smoking in a large non-stick fry pan and carefully add the butter (helps the browning process.) Put all the oysters in a single layer and fry until golden brown, about a minute or so. Turn them over with long tongs and do the same with this side.

That's all there is to it! The blanching insures that the oysters will not be undercooked so you can fry hot and fast, which seals in the juices and makes a great non-greasy crust on the oysters.

I serve them with a simple salad with balsamic vinaigrette and Wildwood lemon-garic aioli (Whole Foods house brand.)

Un-oaked Sauvignon Blanc is our wine of choice, either a New Zealand or a Sancerre from France.

Now go eat some pan fried oysters!

(Portland, March 23, 2014)