Oyster Recipes - Fried Padded Oysters, Steamed Oysters, and Scalloped Oysters
Winter is the Best Time to Eat Oysters
Oysters are a delicious shellfish popular in the Chesapeake Bay
region. But don't expect the best oyster specialties to be served in
restaurants - these oyster recipes are best made at home. The following
recipes are easy to follow and quick to make.
When you cook oysters, never overcook. Overcooking oysters, just like any seafood, will make the finished product tough and tasteless.
Fresh oysters have clean, fresh smell and the shells are closed tightly. Whether buying oysters in the shell or jar, eat oysters as soon as possible after purchase for optimum flavor and freshness.
Oysters are low calorie and provide protein, zinc, B-12, phosphate, and phosphorus.
Oysters are a fall and winter food, in season at that time, and full of the warmth and goodness that make for real comfort food!
Oysters are a Winter Seafood
When I was a little girl, food came in seasons, especially local foods. Oysters are in season in the Chesapeake Bay region during months that have an R in them. But if you really love oysters and long for the full rich flavor associated with oysters, forget even September and October. You need to wait for a cold snap.
Oysters conjure up winter memories. On Saturdays playing outside (so glad for a reprieve from school) on the hard winter ground, looking for frozen puddles to slide on, or after playing in the brittle winter woods, I'd come in to find my father bent over the stove, checking his pan of oysters.
He'd lift the towel that covered the pan and I'd watch that briny steam rise. A little pot of melted butter stood by. How warm it was! How it spoke of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay (the steam smelled like low tide) and how oysters remind me today of time spent with family in winter, a dark sky and a bright kitchen, and how those oysters warm your stomach and your heart.
Steamed Oysters
Set a pan on the range and cover the bottom with shallow water. Place a rack in the pan. (You don't really have to place a rack in the skillet as long as you keep the water line below the area where the oyster will open). You may have to add more water later. You don't want the water to cover the oysters, but you don't want the pan to dry out either.
- Add oysters.
- Cover with a towel.
- Wait until the oyster opens.This does not take long.
- Scrape the oyster off the shell.
- Dip in melted butter.
Enjoy!
(This is standing around the kitchen food)
Scalloped Oysters
When you prepare an old fashioned recipe, measurements are not precise. You mess with the proportions depending on taste and the amount of liquid. For scalloped oysters, I usually buy already shucked oysters - it's just easier that way.
In a small iron skillet, melt 3 - 4 Tablespoons of butter.
Crumble up a 1/2 of a package of saltine crackers. But don't crumble them too much. Don't turn them in to crumbs. Mix with the melted butter in the skillet.
Pour the jar (with the liquid) into the skillet and mix.
Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Dredge oysters in flour
Dip oysters in reserved liquid
Padding oysters
Fried, Padded Oysters
Preparation - Drain liquid from a jar of oysters and reserve. Fill a large plate with bread crumbs and another with a little flour.
Now you are ready.
- Dredge an oyster through the flour
- Dip floured oyster in reserved liquid.
- Roll the oyster in bread crumbs
- Repeat, placing a 2nd and 3rd oyster on top, overlapping the first with a sprinkle of bread crumbs in between.
- Take the 3 oysters in the palm of your hand and press together gently.
- Roll in bread crumbs and set aside.
- Repeat with the rest until you have made several padded oysters.
- Chill on plate for one hour.
- Heat a skillet on medium high.
- Add fat. (Lard is best but I use oil)
- Fry padded oysters til golden brown. Turn and repeat.
- Drain on paper towels.
Enjoy!
Oysters in the Skillet
Oysters on the Chesapeake
More Oyster Recipes (by Habee)
- Easy Oyster Recipes, with My Secret Sauce Recipe
Having an oyster roast? If so, you might want to dress up some of the oysters for your guests. By just having a few extra ingredients near the grill, plain oysters can easily be transformed into truly...
Oysters Can Save Us!
- \'Waterman\'s\' weapon against pollution: Oysters - CNN.com
It's daybreak on Sara Creek, a sleepy backwater that sits near Yorktown, Virginia, and empties into the Chesapeake. The early morning fog slowly lifts to reveal the ripples of water, the boats swaying, and a picturesque harbor.
How to Shuck an Oyster
Comments
Sounds good; I love oysters, will have to try this recipe
Do not like seafood, but love your Hubs.
Wishing you very happy and successful New Year, Dolores. Peace and love.
Oh Dolores I just adore oysters, I could eat them til they are coming out of my ears.I will definitely give these a go :)
juneaukid - scalloped oysters are so easy and delicious. A lot of folks in the area are not familiar with the recipe - it's an old fashioned one. Thanks for stopping by!
Coolmon - thanks for visiting my hub! Enjoy the oysters!
Tatjana - so good to see you! Glad you enjoy my hubs. I love yours! Peace to you for the New Year, dear.
blondepoet - please don't have oysters coming out of your ears. How will you wear ear rings? Thanks for leaving a comment.
Here in Italy usually oysters are eaten raw, with just some lemon juice. But now I must try the fried oysters. They seem very good. Thanks for the hint.
I love oysters and will use one of these recipes
Dude - raw oysters are quite popular here as well. That's why I included a how to shuck oysters video. But, I'm not much on the raw oysters and I love all these recipes. Thanks for commenting!
fire - I hope the oyster recipe works out well for you!
Yum! We should link our oyster articles together! Let me know...
habee - it is done! Usually you see that bar with similar hubs to the right but I don't see it on here. Actually, all the oyster recipes should be over there. I love those side bars when I read other hubs if I am looking for some actual information and not must browsing.
I love oysters. Great article, so great I plugged it for you at http://wwww.plugrun.com :)
ToadRun - wow, thank you so much. I hate to admit that I don't even know what plugrun is but appreciate the kindness nonetheless.
Great article D, I am an oyster freakazoid, although mainly on the half shell raw. I hope I can try one of your other versions some day, yum, this is making me hungry for Tabasco and oysters....
Hearing the word Oysters itself makes me hungry. Thanks for such wonderful recipes
Thank you, Ben. I am not a fan of raw oysters but slightly cooked ones are great. The steamed oysters can't be over cooked - they lose flavor and become chewy.
shinujohn - I am glad that you like the recipes. Thanks for commenting.
Not for me but good Hub
A mouth Watering Recipe. I'd love to give it a try.
Thanks.
Love oysters (is there a double meaning in there somewhere?) - thanks for sharing these delicious-sounding recipes.
Love and peace
Tony
ethel, well then I will have to offer you something else. Maybe next recipe hub! Thanks for stopping by.
Lady E - glad that you enjoyed it. Thank you for commenting!
tony - (hehe) What was I thinking! Wrote this after making oysters last week and tonight not having any. Am kicking myself. Thank you and peace out!
Well Dolores,
you make me hungry :) i love oysters.
those recipes a worth to try.
thanks for sharing :)
Thank you, febriedethan, I make myself hungry every time I read the comments on here, wishing I had bought oysters at the store.
Dolores,
Those are large oysters we seldom find around here. We are surrounded with rivers where oyster culture abounds.
I love your recipes. I like my oyster in its unadulterated form, so I also go for the steam. Clean very well, see to it that no mud clings on the shells. Lay the oysters in a kettle one on top of the other.You may add just a little water with crushed ginger. Put in stove to cook until each opens. Yummy! The soup is good, too. Try it.
Lita - I've never heard of adding ginger, but it sounds delicious! Will have to try it. Thanks for the great suggestions!
MMMMM great hub! I love Oysters! Not tried them in some of the ways above - but they look great! I enjoy them au naturel with a squeeze of lemon.
Close to where I live we have famous Oyster beds at Mersea Island, a handy local treat!
dragonbear - so many people are loyal to a particular type of oyster. In Maryland, you get the Chincoteauge oysters which are very salty but if you want them sweeter, you get the Choptank, both local areas. A lot of folks I know like them raw, but not me. Thank you for commenting.
What time's dinner again? This sounds delicious.
larry- you're a bit late! It's crab season now! Oysters are traditionally served in months that contain the letter R, that is, the colder months. Thanks for stopping by!
love oysters. feel a little weird about eating them after the oil spill. i live in atlanta and many come from the gulf. but i will definitely try some of these methods the next time i buy some..thanks
Easy - well I don't blame you. Up here, I always hope that the oysters are from the Chesapeake Bay but don't bother to check. I don't want to be disappointed! Thanks!
My mother introduced me to oysters when I was very young. I really like them smoked.
Dolores Monet, Great recipes! I had never heard of "Padded Oysters." I see it appears that you not only have a gift for writing great fashion hubs but a knack for cooking as well! Thank you for sharing, Peace & Blessings!
good,i like it.want to eat it
I now have a craving for these. I love these recipes. Thanks
Padded oysters sound good never had them yet. So do scalloped oysters.Nice Hub!
ahbless - well my father was big on steaming oysters in the winter. I love them any way but raw. Thank you!
DeBorrah - thank you so kindly! Cooking with oysters is easy. They are so tasty. Simply steamed is wonderful with a dip of melted butter!
Aisa - well me too! Thanks!
Bleieshia - have not had my fill this year for sure! Thank you!
myawn - have not had them yet this year. We've had them steamed and scalloped though. Thanks!
juneaukid 2 years ago
Your recipes sound great! I'm hungry, but the scalloped oysters sound the best to me.