Fried Oysters.

The Hawthornes love oysters and during the season, we go through 6 or so bushels.  

Steamed oysters.

Smoked oysters.

Oysters on the halfshell.

Broiled oysters with any number of toppings.

And fried oysters.

Lately, Mr. H. has been in charge of the oyster-frying.

And he's been experimenting with the coatings.

Coating Mix #1 For Fried Oysters

1 cup flour

1/2 cup panko

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp paprika

Mix all ingredients until well combined.

Shuck oysters and drain a bit.

Place oysters in breading mix and shakeshakeshake to evenly coat.

(We use a tupperware container for everything.)

Heat peanut oil to 370° and deep-fry 4-6 oysters at a time for about 1 minute.  Golden.

Drain on a rack.

Rosie Tips:

•  When you're frying anything, never crowd the pan.  Crowding the pan lowers the temperature of the oil and you'll end up with oily/greasy, not crisp.
• Don't skimp on the oil.  I use at least 3 inches of oil in an 8-inch diameter heavy duty deep pan.
•  I always use peanut oil for frying.  It has a higher smoke point than other oils and it has a neutral taste.  (Oils begin to decompose at their smoke points, creating unpleasant smelling compounds.)
• Keep your oil temperature high (370° - 375°) and consistent.  High temperatures cook the outside quickly.  Low temperatures allow the oil to seep into the food, making it greasy.
• For crying out loud, buy an instant read laser thermometer and take the worry out of frying.  It's worth every penny.

Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce or, for a special treat, try Rosie's Pig Shack Sauce.

It's my version of Boar and Castle Sauce and it's different and delightful.

Here's the recipe:  Rosie's Pig Shack Sauce.

 

 We served the next batch of fried oysters on a Caesar Salad.

And here's Rosie's recipe for her Caesar dressing and homemade croutons.

Coating Mix #2 For Fried Oysters

 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 TB Old Bay seasoning

Mix ingredients well and toss oysters to coat evenly.

Fry as above.

 Enjoy!

Rosie Makes Her Pig Shack Sauce.

We're having doughnuts with a chocolate glaze today!!!!!

NOT!!!!!!!

OK.  

It's not a doughnut.

And that's not chocolate.

It's a fried onion ring with Rosie's Pig Shack Sauce.

I know that was mean of me,

but that's the kind of person I am.

I don't know if you're familiar with this particular condiment,

but you should make its acquaintance.
You have ketchup.
You have mustard.
And you have Boar and Castle Sauce.
Or, in Rosie's World,
you have Rosie's Pig Shack Sauce.

I first met this sauce at 220 Seafood Restaurant between Greensboro, NC., and Danville, Va.  And this was way back in the 70s.  The seafood was all fried, Calabash-style, and a bottle of Boar and Castle sat on each table in the restaurant.  When I moved away in the early 80s,  I moved away from my beloved Boar and Castle sauce.

First, a bit of Boar and Castle history.  In 1932, Leon Thomas opened a castle-shaped restaurant in Greensboro, NC., named after a pub, the Boar and Castle, in a Samuel Johnson novel.  Boar and Castle sauce was Thomas' mother's recipe, developed in the 20s, and was slathered on everything, from the namesake Castleburgers to buttersteak sandwiches, fries, and onion rings. 

 

 

   

 The restaurant itself was part of an era -  one could liken it to something out of American Graffiti - an era where teenagers would cruise the main drag and end up hanging out at the Boar and Castle - a drive-in with carhops.  The restaurant closed in 1979, but folks never forgot that tangy sauce.  To many, it was nostalgia in a bottle.

Boar and Castle sauce went out of circulation for a while, sooooo, when I got a hankerin' for it, I had to come up with a recipe myself.  And I did.  And it's pretty darn close to the original.  In fact, I would challenge you to pick out the "real" B&C given a taste test between theirs and mine.

    

Rosie's Recipe for Boar and Castle Sauce

 4 tamarinds, steeped in boiling water at least one hour

1/2 tin of anchovies

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 TB soy sauce

 1/2 cup ketchup

 1/2 cup yellow mustard

 2 tsp granulated garlic

2 tsp onion powder

 3 TB corn syrup

2 TB brown sugar

1 TB molasses

 1/2 tsp cayenne

1 TB lemon juice

Mix all ingredients.  Taste test.  Adjust ingredients, if necessary.  For example, if you put in more tamarinds, you might need to adjust with more brown sugar.  If you used more anchovies, then up the lemon juice.  That sort of thing.

Everything here is pretty straight forward except maybe for the anchovies and the tamarinds.
So, I've got visuals for you.

Put those little gristly anchovies in a bowl.

And commence to mashin' 'em.

Mash away until they're paste-like.

Then you add in the rest of the ingredients, whisking and mixing well.

Now, about those tamarinds...

First, where do you find these?
Answer:  You find tamarinds in the Hispanic section in the supermarket.

Second, how do you prepare them?
Answer:  Place in a bowl, cover with boiling water, then cover and leave for at least an hour.

After soaking for an hour, peel off the woody covering.  Probably should have done this before soaking, but I forgot.  Not to worry.

                                                        

Peel off the strings and the husk.  And no.  I don't own any cats.  Why do you ask?

Remove the seeds.

Place the pulp in a strainer and...

... press through and...

... add to the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk thoroughly.

And there you have it!
Taste test, but I'm pretty sure it's perfect.

Next, fry up some onion rings.  Or fries.
By the way, Mr. Hawthorne has perfected his onion rings.
Recipe coming up.

Add the Boar & Castle and dip away!

Enjoy!