Cornmeal Fried Oysters & Polenta

by Lizzy W   |   January 27, 2015   |   8 Comments

Thank you Kyocera for partnering with me on this post!  It’s no secret I have never been a fan of seafood… but recently that’s changing.  I forced myself to start eating it a couple of years ago because I know it’s good for me, and now I can’t imagine what took me so long.  When Kyocera sent me this frying pan, endless recipe ideas went through my head….but I wanted a bit of a challenge and seafood is exactly that for me.  So, in a series of awesome recipes with Kyocera’s new frying pan, some healthy and some pretty guilty, I decided to make cornmeal fried oysters and polenta (commence keyboard drooling).

I absolutely love this Kyocera frying pan, it’s non-stick, scratch resistant, and oven safe up to 400 degrees… there are so many different options as far as what to cook in it.  It’s really high quality and best of all – super affordable at only $64!!  Most good quality pans I have easily run me $100+ dollars, this is one of those awesome finds that I promise you won’t regret buying.  One thing I will warn about – it gets extremely hot fast!!  I only had the stove on medium for about 2 minutes and the oil already started popping, so just be wary of the stove temp.

(I received this product for review purposes.  All opinions are completely my own based on my experience.)

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen large oysters, shucked
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• salt and pepper, to taste
• pinch of cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. old bay seasoning
• vegetable or grapeseed oil for frying, enough to come up about 1/2 inch

Ingredients (Sauce for oysters):

• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. parsley
• 6 oz. goat cheese
• a few dashes of hot sauce, to taste

Ingredients (Polenta):

• 1 cup coarsely ground polenta
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cups of stock (I use vegetable, but any will work)
• 3/4 cup smoked Gouda (or other cheese)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• salt and pepper, to taste

 Directions:

• Heat a tsp. or so of grapeseed oil in a saucepan, saute shallots until translucent, and then add the 4 cups of stock and bring to a boil.  Whisk in the polenta and continue to whisk until it begins to thicken.  Turn heat to low, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook about 30-40 minutes, covered.  Stir about every ten minutes or so, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.  (While you are doing this, begin the next step).  Once the polenta reaches the desired thickness and texture, add in the cheese and butter.  It is best to serve the polenta right when it becomes ready, so timing is very important here.
• Begin by mixing together flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper, cayenne, Cajun seasoning and old bay in one breading dish.  In another dish whisk 1 egg. First dip the oysters in the egg, then bread, and set aside.
• Fill your frying pan with about 1/4 inch vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees.  Dust off any excess breading and fry the oysters on each side about 2-3 minutes, until golden, then set on a paper towel.
• In a bowl combine goat cheese, buttermilk, zest and juice of 1 lemon, parsley, hot sauce, salt and pepper.  This will be the sauce to drizzle over the oysters and polenta, or just to dip in.
• Lay out arugula on a plate, top with polenta, oysters, and dressing, and serve!

 

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