Fried Oysters

A friend posted a facebook cry for help in her status a few months ago and I was so happy to oblige. There's more than one way to fry an oyster, hundreds of different dressings, and tons of things you can do with them. I actually ordered fried oysters last night as an appetizer at a pretty well-known Southern themed restaurant in Washington. They were good, but try these!

Fried Oysters
Serves 6 as an entree, 8-12 as a heavy appetizer
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3-5 minutes per batch

• 2 lbs fresh oysters, shucked
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp old bay or other seasoning mix of your choice (there are hundreds)
• 2 quarts vegetable oil (for frying, you can use less or more, depending on the size of your vessel)
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Pre-heat the oil to 350-375 degrees, but don't overheat. Soak the oysters in the buttermilk and hot sauce mixture for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients. Dredge the oysters 1 by 1 in the seasoned flour / cornmeal mixture. Fry in batches, carefully draining on a rack over paper towels.
Taste the first one for seasoning and adjust before frying the rest of the batches.