History
Phillip Mazzoni and his Italian-immigrant brothers from Genoa opened Mazzoni's tavern at Third and Market in 1884, where they first served rolled oysters as a free giveaway to saloon patrons with a purchased beer or whiskey. The recipe combined three oysters with a unique pastinga batter, rolled in cracker crumbs and fried into a baseball-sized ball. The Mazzoni family held the recipe secret for five generations and the dish became a Louisville-only specialty. The last Mazzoni-family restaurant closed in 2011, ending a 127-year run, and the rolled oyster has become a rare find on Louisville menus since.
Common allergens: Shellfish, Gluten, Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 24 small shucked oysters, drained
- 200g plain flour
- 100g fine cornmeal
- 2 eggs
- 240ml whole milk
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 200g cracker crumbs (saltine or oyster crackers, crushed fine)
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
Method
- Whisk flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper together. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and milk.
- Combine the wet and dry mixtures to make a thick pastinga batter. Let rest 10 minutes.
- Heat 7cm of vegetable oil to 180C in a heavy pot.
- Place three oysters in a small mound. Coat thickly in the pastinga batter to form a ball.
- Roll the batter-coated ball through the cracker crumbs until completely encased.
- Carefully lower the rolled oyster into the hot oil. Fry 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately, ideally with a beer or bourbon.
Tip from the editors. Keep the oil at a steady 180C; lower and the batter goes greasy, higher and the oysters overcook. Store-bought cracker crumbs for the right texture.
Where to eat rolled oyster
Rolled oyster in Louisville
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Louisville. See the Louisville signature dishes guide for the canonical version.
More cities are in research. Want rolled oyster covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.