Name: Crumbed oysters with tartare sauce
Yield: 4
Ingredients: For deep-frying: vegetable oil; 24 oysters, shucked; 1 egg; 125 ml milk (½ cup); 50 gm plain flour, seasoned (1/3 cup); 100 gm Japanese breadcrumbs (see note); To serve: rock salt; To serve: lemon wedges; Tartare sauce; 100 gm mayonnaise; 25 gm salted capers, soaked in water for 1 hour, drained and finely chopped (2 tbsp); 2 tbsp finely chopped Spanish onion; 1 tbsp finely chopped cornichons; 2 tbsp finely chopped chives; 1 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; ½ lemon, juiced

“I usually prefer eating oysters au natural, but having tasted the crumbed version served simply with tartare sauce at Must Winebar, I can’t imagine enjoying them any other way now. Would you please ask chef Russell Blaikie for his recipe?”

Lucinda Booth, Perth, WA

Request a recipe

To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, Australian Gourmet Traveller, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.

Ingredients

For deep-frying: vegetable oil

24 oysters, shucked

1 egg

125 ml milk (½ cup)

50 gm plain flour, seasoned (1/3 cup)

100 gm Japanese breadcrumbs (see note)

To serve: rock salt

To serve: lemon wedges

Tartare sauce

100 gm mayonnaise

25 gm salted capers, soaked in water for 1 hour, drained and finely chopped (2 tbsp)

2 tbsp finely chopped Spanish onion

1 tbsp finely chopped cornichons

2 tbsp finely chopped chives

1 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ lemon, juiced

Method

Main

1.For tartare sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Makes 1 cup. Tartare can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up 1 week.

2.Preheat oven to 100C. Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large deep saucepan to 180C. Remove oysters from shells, reserving shells, place oysters on an oven tray and warm in oven for 5 minutes. Whisk egg and milk together in a bowl, and place flour and breadcrumbs each in separate bowls. Dip oysters into flour, shaking off excess, then egg mixture and then breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. Deep-fry oysters, in batches, for 30 seconds or until crisp and golden, then drain on absorbent paper.

3.To serve, spoon rock salt into the centre of 4 plates, arrange 6 oyster shells on top of each plate and place crumbed oysters in shells. Serve immediately with tartare sauce and lemon wedges to the side.