Hangtown Fry....Finally!!

Since my twenties, my mother was fascinated with the Hangtown Fry, but for some reason she never made the dish. I probably didn't help the effort much because in those days, I was not a fan of oyters as I am today. Having just gotten her old recipe books (clipped recipes and handwritten treasures) and going thru them, my interest was piqued and this morning I made the dish for the first time. I did a little research first to try to get as close to the authenic recipe as possible and I think, I found it. Here's a little of the history and lore of Hangtown Fry from Placerville, CA
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Hangtown Fry History

Hangtown fry could possibly be the first California cuisine. It consists of fried breaded oysters, eggs, and fried bacon, cooked together like an omelet. In the gold-mining camps of the late 1800s, Hangtown Fry was a one-skillet meal for hungry miners who struck it rich and had plenty of gold to spend. Live oysters would be brought to the gold fields in barrels of sea water after being gathered in and around San Francisco Bay. Such a meal cost approximately $6.00, a fortune in those days.

However it came to be, ordering a Hangtown Fry became a mark of prosperity for gold-rich miners, the status symbol of the day. The recipe swept the entire Northwest Territory, from California to Seattle, in the mid-1800s. A few drinks and a Hangtown Fry were considered a gentleman's evening.
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Start out the dish by frying two slices of bacon (for 2 servings), cut them in half and set aside keeping warm. Bread, eggwash, bread again 3-4 small oysters per person; fry these in clarified butter. Add two slices of bacon per omelet in the pan with the oysters, placing them like railroad tracks in the pan.

Mix together two eggs (per person again) with seasoning & a little milk and pour over the oysters and bacon. Cook slowly until eggs are set and lightly browned. During the cooking, lift the cooked eggs to let the uncooked part run underneath onto the hot pan.

To serve, fold in half and slip onto a hot platter. Serve French fried potatoes as an accompaniment. (Next time, I think I'll serve as a frittata, not folded, so I can get the effect of the beautiful fried oysters and the 'rail road' bacon strips.) This was wonderful and I so wish my mother was at a place she could have enjoyed this dish with us also. Hangtown Fry is a wonderful, historical dish.

This week also saw the first of the '07 rhubarb crop, thanks to our neighbor, Kemp! Within two hours of picking a cobbler with a puff pastry topping was in the oven - oh my, was it delicious. I just combined sugar, cornstarch and salt with the rhubarb and put in a pie dish and topped it.

I also tried a "Seared Seafood and Wasabi Salad" - Saturday night. Didn't really care for the completed dish, but the Wasabi Vinaigrette was wonderful and especially good brushed on the cod filets and portabellos that I grilled to top the salad. Will definitely repeat this. (this vinaigrette was very good tossed with the rice noodles also)

Wasabi Vinaigrette

1/4 c rice wine vinegar

1/4 c soy sauce

2 T. Wasabi paste

2 T. brown sugar

1 piece ginger root (1") - peeled and minced

1 large clove garlic, miced

1/4 c dark sesame oil

1/4 c corn oil

Combine rice wine vinegar and wasabi paste; stir till smooth.

Add soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.

Combine the corn oil and sesame oil and in a slow steady stream, incorporate the oils into the other ingredients to form an emulsion. (a food processor can be used) This vinaigrette can be made up to 3 days ahead of using.

All in all, it was a nice week of cooking - Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Bread, Buttermilk-Brined Pork Chops, Home made Creme Fraiche and Chocolate Creme Fraiche Ice Cream - will try Grandma Fry's chocolate ice cream custard method next time trying to incorporate chocolate into an ice cream base.....

Also, made Three-Sster Stew from a packet I picked up at the Portland Farmer's Market - it's a Native American Blend and the stew was wonderful. Checked out the website and there was an Enchilada recipe using the same seasoning packet that looked very good!

Cynthia and I have pushed through an Ethiopian Dinner to be reviewed April 30th.