Our Christmas Eve dinner tradition: Oysters

Editor’s note: Deseret News readers share their holiday food traditions.

On Christmas Eve, my family eats clam chowder and fried oysters. This seems like a strange tradition to most people. As a matter of fact, when I share this with someone for the first time it’s as likely to be answered with a perplexed stare as a polite nod. Most people I know stick to the traditional turkey dinner.

I’m not sure how or when the tradition started, but we’ve always held on despite in-laws’ best attempts to get us to change the menu.

My earliest memories of Christmas involve going to Grandma Grover’s house on Christmas Eve for dinner. Admittedly, as a child I didn’t care for the oysters. I was mainly in it for the presents. However, as I grew so did my taste for bivalves. These days, I don’t really feel “Christmas-y” until I smell the oysters frying.

We follow the same oyster recipe that my grandfather used since before I can remember. In recent years, we’ve improved it by dredging them in flour before the cracker meal.

FRIED OYSTERS

5 medium oysters

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup finely crushed saltine crackers

1 egg beaten

Enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan

Inspect and rinse oysters, removing any sand or shell fragments.

Place enough oil in pan to coat the bottom, and heat the pan to medium/high.

Dredge oysters in flour, then immediately coat in egg and then cracker meal until completely covered.

Place them in the pan and fry until golden brown, turning once.

Serve hot with fresh lemon and a splash of soy sauce.

Residing in Ogden Utah, Matthew Seamons is passionate about the stories that make our lives.