Cajun Oysters and Bacon en Brochette Recipe

Serves/Makes: 6

Ingredients:

• 3 dozen medium-sized shucked oysters
• 8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 14 tablespoons butter
• 6 slices homemade-type white bread, trimmed of crusts and cut diagonally into triangles
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, preferably flat leaf
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups unsifted corn flour, or substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 lemon, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges

How to cook Cajun Oysters and Bacon en Brochette:

• Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. At the same time, line 2 baking sheets with a double thickness of paper towels and place them in the center of the oven.
• In a heavy 8 to 10-inch skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, add 4 or 5 of the bread triangles and, turning them frequently with tongs, fry until they are crisp and golden brown on both sides. As they are toasted, transfer the bread triangles to one of the paper lined pans to keep them warm. Then fry the rest of the triangles in a similar manner, adding up to 4 tablespoons more butter to the skillet as needed.
• Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet, and stir so that it melts evenly without burning. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and set the skillet aside.
• Pour the vegetable oil into a large deep fryer or a heavy saucepan at least 8 inches in diameter to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer.
• Place the bacon in a heavy 12-inch skillet and, stirring frequently, cook until the pieces are translucent but not brown. Set the bacon aside on paper towels to drain. Pat the oysters completely dry with paper towels and season them on both sides with the salt and pepper. One at a time, roll the oysters about on the flour to coat them evenly and vigorously shake off the excess flour.
• String the pieces of bacon and oysters alternately on six 6-inch long metal skewers, pressing them tightly together. With tongs, carefully place 2 of the skewers in the hot oil and, turning the skewers frequently, deep-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the oysters are plump and delicately browned. As they are cooked, transfer the Oysters and Bacon en Brochette to the second paper-lined pan and keep them warm in the oven while you deep-fry the rest.
• While the oysters are still hot, arrange 2 of the toast triangles on each of 6 heated serving plates and lay one skewer across them. Dribble the butter-and-parsley sauce over the oysters, garnish the plates with the lemon wedges and serve at once.

This recipe for Cajun Oysters and Bacon en Brochette serves/makes: 6

Main Ingredient: Oysters
Preparation Method: Deep Fried
Cuisine: Cajun