Oysters en brochette is a classic New Orleans Creole dish of brochettes of raw oysters and blanched bacon breaded and deep fried, served over toast with a clarified butter and lemon sauce. It was a popular dish in Louisiana hotels and dining establishments in the mid-20th century. Today, the dish remains a feature at Galatoire’s, located in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street. Combining French cookery techniques with locally-available seafood, this decadent appetizer also is sometimes called “Angels on Horseback” and is eaten by sliding the wrapped oysters off their skewer one by one with the back of a fork.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
25 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp Kosher or sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 12 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into four equal pieces
- 4 dozen large oysters, shucked
- 2 cups buttermilk
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, clarified
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, and pepper, thoroughly combining with a fork.
- Boil water and blanch the bacon for 3 minutes to pre-cook.
- Drain and dry the bacon on paper towel. Wrap each of the oysters in a slice of the bacon.
- Dredge the oysters through the flour mixture, shaking to remove excess.
- Skewer the wrapped and breaded oysters onto 8-inch-long metal skewers, spacing ½-inch apart.
- Dredge the skewers in the flour, then in buttermilk, and then in flour again.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat about 1-inch of vegetable oil to a temperature of 375°F over medium-high heat.
- Preheat the oven to low heat, placing a platter or tray inside to warm.
- Fry the brochettes two at a time in the oil for about 2 minutes per side, turning with tongs, until they are golden-brown. Keep the finished brochettes warm in the oven until all are fried and ready to serve.
- To make the lemon butter sauce, in a small saucepan, warm the clarified butter over medium heat, and stir in the lemon juice and the Worcestershire sauce. Serve the brochettes over a pool of the warm sauce.
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