Devils on horseback

36 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup All purpose flour
½ cup Yellow cornmeal
1½ teaspoon Baking powder
2 eaches Eggs - lightly beaten
1¼ cup Beer
18 eaches Slices bacon - smoked, thin, halved crosswise
(1-1/4 lbs.)
1 quart Peanut oil
36 eaches Oysters - freshly shucked
Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal and baking powder.

Make a well in the center. Add the eggs and beer and whisk until smooth. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. 2. In a large skillet, working in batches, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning frequently, until the fat is rendered and the bacon just beings to brown but is still soft, about 4 minutes.

Drain on paper towels and let cool. 3. In a deep fryer, wok or large skillet, heat the oil to 350F over moderately high heat, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, wrap each oyster in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. 4. Stir the batter. Working in batches, dip the oysters in the batter and then drop into the hot oil. Fry several at a time, turning, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain them on paper towels. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges.

Note from me: You can also put the oysters and cooked bacon on a skewer (soak the skewers in water first if they're wooden) instead of wrapping each oyster in bacon in step 3 (a/k/a locally as "Oysters en Brochette"). Just dip the whole stick in the batter in step 4 before dropping into the oil. We don't deep fry very often, as we don't cotton to many deep fried items as we feel deep frying hides a lot of flavor(s), especially the subtle ones, and is a mess to deal with. I am always in a quandry as to how to dispose of the oil. The best way to make these is on an outdoor gas cooking setup, so you don't smell up the house and yourself. Serve with a cream sauce spiked with tasso (Cajun smoked pork). If you want it to be more attractive, serve on a bed of pretty lettuce on a salad plate with some of the tasso cream sauce ladled over the oysters and bacon, which, of course, you've removed from the skewer. --Michelle Bass Source: Food & Wine, January, 1991

Calories per serving: Number of Servings: 36 Fat grams per serving: Approx. Cook Time: Cholesterol per serving: Marks:

Submitted By MICHELLE BASS On 05-10-95

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