Region: Italy, Sicily
Category: Pasta with Shellfish
Season: Any
Difficulty: Labor Intensive
This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It's even better when someone makes it for me. Once I was in San Francisco visiting my friend Carlo Middione, the chef and owner of Vivande restaurant. I arrived very tired after a long flight and he served me this dish not knowing it was my favorite. When I exclaimed my delight Carlo merely smiled knowingly, but he couldn’t have known. In any case I now believe oysters must be a small antidote to jet lag.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 60 minutes
1 pound linguine
6 to 8 cup olive oil for frying
32 oysters, shucked
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1. In a deep fryer or an eight-inch diameter saucepan fitted with a wire fry basket, preheat the oil to 370ºF.
2. Dredge the oysters in the bread crumbs, flour, and salt, shaking off any excess. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
3. In a small skillet, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat with the garlic and parsley. Once small bubbles begin to appear, leave for 30 seconds and then remove from the heat. Set aside.
4. Remove the oysters from the refrigerator and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside, keeping the oysters warm.
5. Meanwhile, for every pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat, salt abundantly with up to 1/2 cup of salt, then add the pasta in handfuls. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together, until al dente. Drain without rinsing. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and toss with the olive oil from the small skillet and transfer to a serving platter. Arrange the oysters around the edge of the serving platter and serve.
Posted: 12/22/2006
