Recipe: Oyster Fritters

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Every Thursday on the Good Food Blog we share a recipe from our archives.

Mark Kurlansky, acclaimed journalist and author of Cod and Salt, has written a book about New York City through the history of the oyster, The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell. He first shared this recipe for Oyster Fritters on May 20, 2006.

Keep reading for the full recipe…

Oyster Fritters
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 20 minutes
  • 24 shucked oysters, with — cup of their liquor
  • 1 large egg, separated
  • 1/2cup all-purpose flour
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch cayenne
  • 1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying
  • Tartar sauce, for serving.
  1. Check oysters and remove any bits of shell. Put oysters in a bowl. Lightly beat egg yolk. Whisk in oyster liquor and flour. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oil to 375 in a deep-fryer, a saucepan or a wok. When oil is hot, beat egg white until stiff and fold into batter. Place oysters in batter and stir to coat them.
  3. Drop well-coated oysters one at a time into oil and fry, turning them once with tongs, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel to drain briefly. Serve with tartar sauce.