Where to eat Rolled oyster in Louisville
A baseball-sized seafood snack: three raw oysters dipped in egg-milk cornmeal batter called pastinga, rolled in cracker crumbs and deep-fried golden.
The story of Rolled oyster
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.
How to make Rolled oyster
Serves: 8
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.
Editor tip. 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.
The editor picks for Rolled oyster in Louisville are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Louisville signature-dishes index or the Louisville food guide.