Active Time

　　15 minuts

　　Total Time

　　15 minutes

　　Hangtown Fry

　　This omelet hails from Hangtown, a town northeast of Sacramento that was named for the notorious hangings once held there (it's now called Placerville). The dish seems to have come into existence during the Gold Rush, as the high-priced breakfast of a lucky miner, and later became a specialty at San Francisco's Tadich Grill. It is traditionally served with bacon.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

　　1/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/4 cup ground saltine crackers (about 8)

　　Salt and pepper

　　4 large eggs

　　4 shucked oysters

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　

Step 1

Put flour and ground saltine crackers in 2 separate small bowls and season flour with salt and pepper. Beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pat oysters dry and coat, 1 at a time, in flour, then egg, then cracker crumbs, shaking off excess between each coating. Put coated oysters on a plate.

　　

Step 2

Beat remaining 3 eggs with a fork for omelet. Heat butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then fry oysters until golden, about 1 minute per side, transferring with tongs to paper towels to drain.

　　

Step 3

Reduce heat to moderately low, then add eggs to skillet and cook, stirring gently, until half set, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange oysters over half of eggs opposite skillet handle, then continue to cook until eggs are just set, about 1 minute more. Fold omelet over oysters and invert onto a plate.