Fried Oysters
Jah Sang Ho
Editor's note: This recipe is reprinted from My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen: 100 Family Recipes and Life Lessons, by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo.
Oysters are one of those three fruits of the sea permissible to Buddhists and were therefore insisted upon for New Year lunch by my grandmother. Cooking them with a batter is traditional. Their name, ho see, sounds like the Chinese words for good business.
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Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Batter
1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose, high-gluten flour
10 ounces cold water
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons peanut oil
5 cups peanut oil
20 medium-size fresh oysters, opened, removed from shells, patted dry, dusted with flour
Preparation
Step 1
Combine all batter ingredients in a bowl and reserve.
Step 2
Heat wok over high heat for 1 minute. Pour in peanut oil, heat to 375°F. Dip each oyster into the batter until well coated. When a wisp of white smoke appears, lower oysters into oil. Deep-fry 5 at a time until light brown, about 3 minutes. Remove oysters, place in strainer, drain over a bowl.
Step 3
Deep-fry last batch to a golden brown, about 4 minutes. Place cooked oysters back in oil for 2 minutes more so they become golden brown. During frying, always control heat. You may need to lower if oysters brown too much, or raise if they cook too slowly.
From My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen: 100 Family Recipes and Life Lessons by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, (C) © 2006 By arrangement with Home Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA)
