Chinese Deep Fried Oysters

Method12 steps · about 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Drain the 450 g shucked oysters and rinse them gently with cold water. Leave them in a colander over a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to drain. Wash, dry and shred the iceberg lettuce; wash and chop the scallion (1), and keep them separate for serving.

   Check oyster drainage · 10 minUses 450 g shucked oysters · Cold water for rinsing oysters and washing the lettuce and scallion, as needed · Iceberg lettuce (shredded) · 1 scallion (chopped, for garnish)

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Whisk together ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ⅛ tsp each white pepper, garlic powder (⅛ teaspoon) and onion powder (⅛ teaspoon), and the ½ tsp batter salt. Keep the separate ⅓ cup dredging flour ready on a plate.

   Uses ¾ cup all-purpose flour for batter · ½ teaspoon baking powder · ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper · ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder · ⅛ teaspoon onion powder · ½ tsp salt for batter

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat the 3–4 cups canola oil in a small, deep pot to 350°F (about 177°C), checking with a frying thermometer. Leave enough space above the oil for it to bubble safely when the oysters are added.

   Uses 3–4 cups canola oil: frying reservoir

4. 4

   Step 4: Just before frying, whisk the ⅔ cup ice-cold seltzer into the dry batter mixture from step 2 until smooth apart from a few small lumps. Stir in the ½ tsp sesame oil.

   Uses Dry batter mixture from step 2 · ⅔ cup ice-cold seltzer water · ½ teaspoon sesame oil

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Work with each oyster just before frying. Pat it dry gently with paper towels, then coat it lightly in flour from the separate ⅓ cup dredging allowance. Leave the remaining oysters chilled until their turn.

   Uses One or a few drained oysters from step 1, as needed for the next batch · Light coating drawn from the ⅓ cup dredging flour allowance

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Dip the floured oyster from step 5 into the prepared batter from step 4. Lift it carefully, scraping off excess batter against the edge of the bowl if needed.

   Uses Floured oyster from step 5 · Batter from step 4: coating drawn for this oyster

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Check the oil temperature again. Adjust the heat during frying to keep it between 325°F and 350°F (about 163–177°C); let it recover between batches.

   Uses Hot frying oil from step 3

8. 8

   Step 8: Carefully lower each battered oyster partway into the oil and swirl it for 2–3 seconds so the coating starts to set, then release it gently. Fry in small batches of about 3–4 oysters, depending on their size and the pot. Cook until the coating is golden and the oysters are fully cooked and opaque throughout; check 63°C (145°F) at the centre where practical.

   Uses Battered oysters from step 6 for this small batch · Frying oil checked in step 7

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Lift the cooked oysters from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a metal rack. Repeat steps 5–8 with the remaining chilled oysters, batter and dredging flour, checking the oil before each batch. Do not reuse any flour or batter that has touched raw oysters.

   Uses Cooked oysters lifted from the frying oil in step 8 · Remaining chilled oysters from step 1 for repeated batches · Batter from step 4 for repeated batches · Remaining dredging flour, as needed for repeated light coatings

10. 10

    Step 10: Mix 1 tsp cornstarch with the separate ⅓ cup water until smooth. In a small saucepan, combine the slurry with 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, ¼ tsp dipping-sauce salt and 2 tbsp sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens.

    Uses 1 tablespoon ketchup · 1 teaspoon soy sauce · 2 tablespoons rice vinegar · ¼ tsp salt for dipping sauce · 2 tablespoons sugar · 1 tsp cornstarch for dipping sauce · ⅓ cup water for sauce slurry

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Serve the oysters promptly. If they need recrisping before serving, reheat the retained frying oil to 375°F (about 191°C). Refry the cooked oysters from step 9 in batches of 3–4 for about 30 seconds, or until crisp, then drain again. This is an optional short recrisping step; the oysters must already be fully cooked.

    Check first recrisping batch · 1 minUses Cooked, drained oysters from step 9 · Retained frying oil from step 8 for optional recrisping

12. 12

    Step 12: Arrange the ready oysters over the prepared shredded lettuce and scatter over the chopped scallion from step 1. Serve with the warm dipping sauce from step 10, reheating the sauce if needed. Share among eight portions.

    Uses Ready fried oysters from step 11, with optional recrisping completed · Warm dipping sauce from step 10: amount served as desired · Washed, shredded lettuce and chopped scallion from step 1