Fried oysters are a staple of izakaya, the eating pubs that can be found in every Japanese neighborhood. These kinds of establishments are much more popular than bars, because we typically like to nibble on something while we enjoy a drink. In fact, this dish is one of my favorite complements to a frosty mug of draught beer. You’ll see that I don’t season the cabbage slaw in this recipe. In Japan, we typically create our own impromptu dressing with the two sauces for the oysters.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　

Cabbage Slaw

2 cups packed shredded cabbage (stemmed and sliced as thin as possible in long lengths)

　　1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

　　1/2 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

　　12 thin slices cucumber, cut on an angle

　　

Tartar Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

　　1/2 tablespoon minced capers

　　2 tablespoons minced cornichons or sweet pickles

　　1/2 tablespoon minced chives

　　1/2 hard-boiled egg, minced

　　1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

　　Pinch of salt

　　

Oysters

1 quart vegetable oil

　　1 pound shucked large oysters, rinsed well and drained

　　Salt and white pepper

　　1/2 cup all-purpose flour

　　1 egg, beaten

　　2 cups panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)

　　

Garnishes

1/2 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

　　1 plum tomato, quartered

　　1/2 cup tonkatsu sauce (Japanese dipping sauce)

　　

Step 1

To make the slaw, place the cabbage, red onion, carrots, and cucumber in a bowl under running water for 10 minutes. Drain well. Remove the cucumber slices and reserve. Mix the vegetables and refrigerate the slaw until ready to use.

　　

Step 2

To make the tartar sauce, combine the mayonnaise, capers, cornichons, chives, and egg in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.

　　

Step 3

To make the oysters, heat a deep fryer or pan filled with oil 4 inches deep to 325°F. Line a tray with paper towels.

　　

Step 4

Season the oysters with salt and white pepper. Set up a breading station in the following order: oysters, bowl of flour, beaten egg, bowl of panko, plate. With one hand, lightly coat an oyster in flour and drop it into the egg. Then, with the other hand, make sure the oyster is coated in egg and wipe off any excess. Transfer the oyster to the panko, making sure it is coated well, and move to the plate with the “flour” hand. Repeat with the remaining oysters.

　　

Step 5

Carefully place 4 or 5 oysters in the hot oil and cook, flipping halfway through, until the crust turns golden brown, about 6 minutes. Set the oysters on the paper towel–lined tray and lightly sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining oysters.

　　

Step 6

To serve, place 1/2 cup of slaw in the corner of a plate and place 3 reserved cucumber slices, 1 lemon wedge, and 1 tomato quarter along one side. Set 4 or 5 fried oysters along the other side, and add 2 tablespoons of the tartar sauce in the corner. Serve with 2 tablespoons of the tonkatsu sauce on the side.

　　

Tonkatsu Sauce

Step 7

Tonkatsu sauce, a popular dipping sauce for fried foods, is to Japanese what ketchup is to Americans. It is produced from vinegar, apples, tomatoes, and dates, and every home has a bottle in the fridge.

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