Hangtown Fry

In a small shallow bowl or pie plate, mix flour and cornmeal (or coating of your choice) with a little kosher salt and black pepper to taste, plus a pinch of cayenne if using. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a little salt and pepper just until combined. Dip oysters one by one in egg mixture, giving each a shake and letting excess egg drip back into bowl, before dredging in coating so all sides are covered. Set aside on a small plate. Once all oysters are coated, place plate in refrigerator while you cook the bacon. This gives the coating time to better adhere and ensures the oysters are chilled, which will make frying them easier. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for a minute or two, then add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is golden-brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spatula or spoon to paper towels to drain, but leave the fat in the pan. If there isn’t much fat in the pan, add a tablespoon or more of butter as needed, and let melt. When the fat in the pan is hot and lightly bubbling (important, since if it’s not hot enough, the coating will stick to the pan and fall off), place the oysters in the skillet and fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until coating is golden-brown and oysters are just cooked through. Remove to paper towels to drain. Drain off some of the fat in the skillet if you prefer, and if there are any pieces of breading left in the pan, scrape them up and discard them. Turn the heat down to medium-low and pour in the eggs. Scramble or make into an omelet, as you prefer. When the eggs are just set, add the bacon and oysters back to the pan and allow to warm up for a minute. Very gently fold them into the scrambled eggs, or if making an omelet, fold it over the bacon and oysters. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley if desired. Photograph by Neil Tierney.