My First Fried Oysters of the Season

Fried Oysters are so simple to make and they make such a great snack! I love the crunchy texture of the fried panko with the creaminess of the oyster.

1 pound drained oysters
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tbsp of salt
1 tsp of cracked black pepper
1 quart of canola oil

Get 3 bowls ready for oyster dredging. In one bowl place the flour, in the second bowl place the egg and mix thoroughly with the milk, 1/2 tbsp of salt and the black pepper. In the third bowl add the panko crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of salt. Starting with the flour, dredge each oyster through the flour, dip in the egg mixture and then coat in the panko mixture. Once the oysters are coated allow them to rest in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes while the oil is heating up. I think this rest period helps the panko coating dry a bit which results in a crunchier coating.

While the oysters are resting, heat the oil. You know the oil is ready when you stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and little bubbles are created around the end of the spoon. Fry the oysters in small batches being careful not to overcrowd. (Overcrowing will cool the oil down.)

My condiments of choice for oysters is pretty simple, as seen here. A slice of lemon and a smear of hot sauce.

Yummy Soft Pretzels

Gosh, it's been soooo long since I've last posted. (Sorry!!!) I've been wanting to come back because this blog has been a lot of fun for me but life always seems to take hold. Finally I decided there is no time like the present to share with you some of the deliciousness I've been cooking.

Over the last year a German friend has taught my husband and I how to make sausage. This same German friend has also introduced me to his homemade soft pretzels. I don't have his recipe but Sunday for football I decided to experiment. The pretzels turned out phenominal. I have a idea for a twist - no pun intended - that I hope to share with you in the near future.

These pretzels were quite easy because I used pizza dough that I had in the refrigerator. I think I've mentioned to you before that I like to keep pizza dough on hand for pizza, stromboli, bread, etc. Dough that has been fermenting for 4 days or longer actually has much more flavor than dough made the day you use it. I took some aged dough, made the pretzel shapes and then followed Alton Brown's soft pretzel recipe for boiling and baking.

1/2 batch of pizza dough
10 cups of water
2/3 cup of baking soda
1 egg
1 tbls of water

Section your fermented pizza dough into 3 ounce portions. Shape the pretzels by rolling them into a long snake. Then create the pretzel shape. Next prepare a baking sheet with alluminum foil or parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Prepare a small bowl of egg wash by mixing 1 tablespoon of cold water with one egg.

Bring 10 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add 2/3 cup of baking soda to the boiling water and mix. Gently place one pretzel in the water. Cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the pretzel and place on your prepared baking sheet. Once all of the pretzels have been cooked in the boiling water, brush the pretzels with the egg wash. Place the baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until brown.

Enjoy with your favorite mustard.