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A period dish

Fried Oysters

Oysters dipped in egg and cornmeal and fried until crisp, a staple of the American tavern and shore dinner.

Serves 4

Oysters were so abundant in the Chesapeake that they were food for rich and poor alike. Frying them in a light batter made them a tavern dish and a favorite of the American table.

Ingredients

Produce

  • 1 lemon

Meat & Poultry

  • 24 oysters

Dairy & Eggs

  • 2 eggs

Pantry / Durable

  • 1 cup cornmeal

Spices & Seasoning

  • salt
  • black pepper

Other

  • lard

Method

  1. Open the oysters and drain them, saving the liquor.

  2. Beat the eggs with a spoonful of the oyster liquor and season the cornmeal with salt and pepper.

  3. Dip each oyster in the egg and then in the cornmeal, coating it well.

  4. Fry the oysters in hot fat until golden on both sides, working in small batches.

  5. Drain them on a cloth and serve hot with lemon.

Served at

The evening before independence · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The pamphleteer's table · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Publius at table · New York, New York