Childhood vacations are synonymous with Cape Cod. The dunes, salt-stained air, fried Portuguese pastries, whale sightings, rocky beaches, and eclectic Provincetown shops are just a few of my favorite Cape memories. While my aunt was in the kitchen making the ubiquitous chicken cutlet and ricotta pie, my Uncle Frank would take us foraging for seafood. We woke at 5 a.m. to wade out at low tide into the bay at Cold Storage Beach to dig for clams buried beneath the cold sand.
There is nothing like wading in the frigid Atlantic Ocean to cement that memory in my teenage brain. To my delight, we actually took home a bucket of clams—though I had no plans to eat them. As a teenager, enjoying slimy sea creatures was not of interest. I spent many summers at the Cape watching others eat mussels we had collected near the jetty in Provincetown and steamed lobsters from the local lobsterman..
As my palate matured, I eventually came to love briny Cape lobsters, perfectly steamed and dunked in butter. I even came to revel in a bowl of clam chowder beneath a striped umbrella overlooking the rocky beach below.
But oysters were still an enigma. How could something so soft and delicate taste so good? Thanks to my husband, I had a bivalve epiphany in my twenties. I only wish it had happened earlier so I could have savored Wellfleet oysters while actually in Wellfleet.
Crispy Fried Oysters
Description
Crispy on the outside, tender and briny on the inside—these fried oysters are coated in a light buttermilk batter with a hint of smoked paprika. Inspired by Cape Cod summers, this simple recipe delivers golden, restaurant-quality oysters right at home.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- package of raw oysters
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup tonic water
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 16 ounces shucked oysters
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Peanut oil (amount varies based on fryer size)
Instructions
- Heat peanut oil to 350°F. You can use a saucepan, Fry Daddy, or portable fryer. Ensure there is enough oil to fully cover the oysters while frying (about 6 inches deep).
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the buttermilk and tonic water and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and smoked paprika. Season with salt and pepper.
- Dip each oyster into the buttermilk mixture, then transfer to the flour mixture and coat well.
- Drop immediately into hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Season immediately with salt.
