Panko Fried Oysters for Two

BeachGirl's Note:

After eating the "World's Best" Fried Oysters at The Old Post Office Restaurant at Edisto, SC, I wanted to duplicate them. This comes mighty close! I believe the double breading and Panko bread crumbs are the secret to these light and crispy oysters. If served as appetizers, they will disappear faster than free money so double or triple the recipe! The Hot Sauce is a modified version of Secret's Deep-Fried Oysters With Hot Sauce and the perfect complement to these Oysters.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 2

Yield: 12.0 oysters

• 8 ounces fresh select oysters

EGG DIP

• 1 large eggs, slightly beaten or 2 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon club soda or 1 tablespoon skim milk

FLOUR COATING

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon morton nature seasoning

PANKO COATING

• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese)
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

HOT SAUCE

• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (we like it spicy)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

1. HOT SAUCE: Mix all ingredients together.
2. To allow flavors to blend, refrigerate several hours.
3. Hot Sauce will keep several days in the refrigerator.
4. Be sure to cover it tightly.
5. Line colander with two layers of paper towel.
6. Rinse oysters, drain and put in colander, patting to dry.
7. EGG DIP: In small bowl, add egg and milk; whisk to blend well.
8. If using only egg whites, do not whisk enough to be dry/frothy.
9. FLOUR COATING: Put all ingredients in small plastic bag and shake to mix well.
10. PANKO COATING: in a small bowl, add ingredients and mix well.
11. TO BREAD OYSTERS: Step 1: Dip 2 or 3 oysters in Egg Dip, letting any excess drain off.
12. Step 2: Place them in Flour Coating, shaking to completely coat oysters.
13. Remove from Flour Mixture.
14. Step 3: Repeat step 1.
15. Step 4: Place them in Panko Coating bowl.
16. Roll them over and get them completely coated with bread crumbs.
17. With tongs, gently remove them from breadcrumbs and place in a single layer on a baking tray lined with plastic wrap.
18. Repeat Steps 1-4 until all oysters are breaded.
19. Cover breaded oysters with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or more.
20. This breading can be done up to 8 hours ahead.
21. TO FRY OYSTERS: Heat frying oil in deep pan to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
22. With tongs, gently remove oysters from baking sheet and gently drop them into the hot oil.
23. Fry the oysters in small (6-8 oysters each) batches to keep from lowering the temperature of the oil too much.
24. Fry about 2 minutes or until golden brown on one side, turn and brown other side (about 1-2 minutes).
25. Remove from oil and drain on layers of paper towels.
26. NOTE: After cooking one batch of oysters, let the temperature of the oil return to about 375, before cooking the next batch.
27. If the oil temperature is not hot enough before adding the oysters, they will taste greasy, rather than light.
28. Serve immediately with Hot Sauce.

Reviews

[Seashorewalker]

Wow! I've never been able to make these at home without flopping and throwing them away. The breading was very very good. I didn't refrigerate but fried them right away and wasn't able to make the sauce but it sounds good. I made them exactly as recipe states. Make sure you follow the instructions mentioned about only frying a couple at a time and let the oil get back up to tempature in between. Thank you for posting! It's a definite keeper

[SaltnPepa]

Outstanding oysters! These were A LOT of work but well worth it considering the taste. The kids even enjoyed them. We all agreed however that the hot sauce was not so hot and could use some spicing up. I'll definitely be fixing these again. What a treat!

I just made these for a second time. I made the recipe exactly as written. I have to say, these are hands-down the best fried oysters I've ever made. I had a pint of oysters and had to double the egg mixture and the panko mixture. My husband, kids and I are still wishing we had more! Thanks!

[Hey Jude]

This is an excellent recipe. I made this as BeachGirl wrote it, using skim milk in the egg dip. Don't be frightened of the 28 steps in this, this is a quick and easy recipe and BeachGirl's instructions are clear and concise. Follow exactly and you'll end up with beautiful nuggets of fried oysters....the panko gives them a lovely appearance with little points sticking out here and there. The hot sauce is great as well....I added a bit more Tabasco. Thanks so much BeachGirl for a recipe that my husband and I will enjoy forever.