Recipe by: Chad Blackwelder
Chad Blackwelder whips up this seafood recipe during the N.C. Seafood Festival in Morehead City inside the Got to Be NC tent.
Servings: 6
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Meal Type: Appetizer
NC Ingredients: Oysters
Blue Crab
Bacon
Ingredients
For the Crab Salad
8 ounces lump or claw meat, or a mix of both (picked for shells)
¼ cup Duke’s Mayo
1 lemon, zest, and juice
¼ cup celery (finely diced)
1 scallion (finely chopped)
½ cup bacon (cooked crispy, cooled and chopped)
1 teaspoon Old Bay or your favorite seasoning to taste
Worcestershire sauce and your favorite hot sauce
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.
For the Fried Saltines
1 sleeve of saltines
2-quart cooking oil (reserve for frying the oysters)
For the Buttermilk Oysters
24 ounces freshly shucked N.C. oysters (drained off liquid, save the liquid for another seafood dish like stew or rice)
2 cups buttermilk (Ran Lew Dairy* or any other N.C. buttermilk)
3 cups N.C. seafood breader 2-quart cooking oil (reserved from the Saltines)
Directions
For the Crab Salad
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.
For the Fried Saltines
Add oil to a pan large enough to where the oil will only come up the side by half. Bring oil up to 350 F. Fry the Saltines in small batches until golden brown, remove and drain. Season while still hot with Old Bay or your favorite seasoning.
For the Buttermilk Oysters
Add the buttermilk to the drained oysters and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Drain the oysters and heavily coat them with the breader, shake off excess and let the oysters sit for 2-3 minutes. This will allow a better crust to form when frying. Using the same oil and pot from the Saltines, bring the oil up to 350 degrees. Fry the oysters in small batches until golden brown, remove and drain. Season while still hot with Old Bay or your favorite seasoning.
For Assembly
¼ cup scallions (finely sliced)
1 lemon (cut into small wedges)
Add a small spoonful of the crab salad to the fried Saltines.
Top each with a fried oyster and garnish with sliced scallions and lemon wedges.
Recipes found on this page are from Got to Be NC members, staff, industry partners and Stove Side Chats. Stove Side Chats is Got to Be NC’s cooking show hosted by restaurant marketing specialist Chad Blackwelder. This series invites chefs and home cooks from around the state to teach you how to cook with in-season North Carolina deliciousness.