Recipe by Sheila Lucero
To celebrate its third Colorado location in Fort Collins, raw bar and seafood mecca Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar visited its neighbor Odell Brewing to craft Emersum Oyster Stout, a creamy, roasty stout infused with 25 pounds of Emersum oysters—meat, shells and all. Here, executive chef Sheila Lucero honors the collaboration with succulent fried oysters and a sauce that blends sharp mustard with the smooth stout. Make the sauce first, and prepare the arugula and oysters just before they’re served; to plate, drag spoonfuls of the sauce across a plate and top with the oysters and a crown of arugula.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- SAUCE:
- 4 ounces Jax Emersum Oyster Stout
- 4 ounces water
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- OYSTERS:
- 4 cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups rolled oats, pulverized in a food processor
- 12 large Rappahannock River oysters (or other East Coast variety), shucked
- LEMON-DRESSED ARUGULA:
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
• Make the sauce. Combine the stout, water, shallot, garlic, sugar and mustard seeds in a small pot and bring to a simmer over low heat; let steep 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool at room temperature. When cool, add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until well-combined.
• Make the oysters. In a large pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees, testing the temperature with a candy
thermometer.
• Prepare three separate bowls: In the first, combine flour, salt and pepper; in the second, lightly beat the eggs; in the third, place the oats. Dredge each oyster in seasoned flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and roll in oats. Fry in the oil, three at a time, 2 minutes.
• Place the arugula in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and olive oil; gently toss, and
season with salt and pepper.
• To plate, spoon the sauce onto a plate, and top with the oysters and a crown of arugula.
