Holiday Oysters with Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 pint shucked CrabPlace.com oysters (30 to 48 per pint)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cracker meal (or crushed crackers)
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
• Optional: 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• Lemon wedges
• CrabPlace.com Cocktail Sauce

Preparation Instructions:

Prepare the oysters.

Combine the flour and cracker meal and dredge the oysters in the mixture. Let the oysters sit, refrigerated, for 20 minutes. Heat the oil to about 350 degrees on medium heat. Add in the optional butter. Fry the oysters until crispy, about 1 to 2 per side minutes. The oysters are done when they are golden brown and crispy. Transfer the fried oysters to a paper-towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve hot with spicy cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

How to clean fresh oysters:

Scrub the oysters and place them in a large bowl. Make sure to discard all broken shells or oysters that won’t close. Fill the bowl with enough cold water to cover the oysters. Shake in the cornmeal and stir. Let the oysters sit for 3 to 6 hours, to let them purge any sand. Remove the oysters from the water and rinse thoroughly.