Oysters And Softshells.

I'm sure all of you out there are sitting around musing, "I wonder what the Hawthornes are having for dinner."

Wait no more!

We're still chiseling into our 4th bushel of oysters. Mr. Hawthorne shucked more oysters for frying. Whenever you shuck oysters, let them sit in their likker until you're ready to batter and fry. When you batter them, fry immediately. Don't let them sit around soaking in the batter

Mr. Hawthorne pulled out a few soft shells too. Soft shells are not in season now, but when they are, we stock up. We get the peelers in the spring, clean them well, individually wrap them, and freeze until whenever.

The crabbies went into seasoned flour, then an egg bath, then back into the flour. The oysters went into the flour. No egg. Flour-egg-flour and oysters would make for a sad soggy, pasty piece of oyster.

Into hot oil for a couple of minutes.

Drain on paper towels.

Oysters in the hot oil for about a minute.

Drain on paper towels.

Mr. Hawthorne served the oysters and soft shells on top of a salad with his homemade dressing. The Hawthornes have no bottled dressings or chemical packets of dressings in their pantry. There's no substitute for homemade. Mr. Hawthorne's Basic Ranch Dressing 1/3 cup sour cream 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup buttermilk 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp oregano sprinkling of fresh thyme and basil freshly ground salt and pepper to taste For Blue Cheese dressing, just crumble in your favorite blue cheese.

Accompaniments for the fried fare were homemade tartar sauce, Rosie's Mango Habanero Pineapple Salsa, and Rosie's Pig Shack Sauce AKA Boar & Castle sauce.

Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne, for a lovely repast.