Rolled Oysters were created in Louisville, Kentucky where they became a beloved barroom staple. Three bivalves coated in batter called pastinga, then rolled in a cracker/cornmeal mix and deep fried until golden. This hearty snack was introduced in 1884 by Italian immigrant Philip Mazzoni and his brothers at their family saloon. With the purchase of a beer or whiskey, patrons received a complementary rolled oyster the size of a baseball. Though the Mazzonis are credited with creating the dish, it didn’t take long for others to imitate it.
Greg Haner, a fifth-generation descendant of the Mazzoni family, shares an anecdote passed down from the early days of the saloon. “Italian immigrants would start out working as oyster rollers, living on the third floor above the bar. Since the saloon never closed, if they ran out of prepared oysters, someone would go upstairs and wake the rollers to make more.”
Today, rolled oysters are a rare find—even in Louisville. Declining oyster harvests and rising prices, worsened by hurricanes, made the dish too costly for bars and restaurants to keep on their menus. The rolled oyster tradition came to an end in 2011 when the last restaurant connected to the Mazzoni family closed, ending a 127-year run.
Unable to accept a life without this beloved snack, I am forced to make them myself, so this is…
How We Make The Rolled Oysters
Rolled Oysters
Rolled Oysters – Made In Kentucky!
- Yield: 4-6 rolls 1x
Ingredients
- 12 fresh small to medium oysters
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 4 TBL oyster liquor
- 3 eggs – lightly beaten
- 2 sleeves saltine crackers
- 1/2 cup white cornmeal
- Peanut oil – for frying
Instructions
- Crush the saltine crackers in a gallon zip lock bag with a rolling pin until they are a fine consistency of meal and pour into a bowl
- Carefully shuck the oysters, strain and reserve the oyster liquor
- Dredge the oysters in the meal and set aside on a wax paper covered cookie sheet while they “set up”. This allows the cracker meal absorb liquid and makes them easier to handle. Dredge a second time if they remain too wet
- Sift and whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl
- Lightly beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk and 4 tablespoons of the reserved oyster liquor
- Combine the egg and flour mixtures, kneading until it becomes a stiff batter called pastinga. If it is too stiff add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency
- Take two or three of the reserved cracker coated oysters, depending on their size, dredge and coat them completely with pastinga. Gently and lightly form a ball with the oysters and roll it in the cracker meal
- When well coated gently press and form a ball with your hands and make sure there are no exposed oysters
- Set aside on waxed paper and allow them to set up
- Repeat steps 7-9 for the rest of the oysters – makes 4-6 rolls
- When finished rolling the oysters, whisk the cornmeal into the remaining cracker meal
- Re-roll the oyster rolls in the cracker – corn meal mix and gently press them together with your hands
- Set them on the waxed paper and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
Frying the Rolled Oysters
- Heat a deep fryer with peanut oil to 375 degrees
- Gently drop 2-3 rolls into the peanut oil
- Immediately reduce the fryer heat to 350 and fry until the rolls float to the top and are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. You reduce the temperature so they don’t cook too fast and have time to cook all the way through
- Raise the temp back to 375 and give the oil time to heat back up and repeat the process for the rest of your oyster rolls
- Drain well on a paper towel covered rack
- Serve with catsup, cocktail or tartar sauce