A new friend we’ve recently met was down chasing redfish out of Rockport a few weeks ago, trickling a stream of pictures my way of decent-sized redfish and specks teased to the kayak mostly around sunrise every blasted day he was down there.
There were no absolute trophies but plenty of damn-that-really-looks-fun fish, though I wasn’t really particularly jealous until he sent along a pic of the BOLT sandwich he devoured early one evening in Port Aransas.
BOLT as in bacon, oyster (fried), lettuce and tomato sandwich.
It was piled high with fresh fried oysters, done Texas-style with a cornmeal crust just like MaMa used to do, thick-sliced bacon, crispy lettuce and tomatoes, with a gob of gleaming mayonnaise oozing out of the back of the sandwich seam.
He was convinced it was the best sandwich he’d ever eaten in his (relatively) young life. And damn, it did look great.
We had our first BOLTs when living in South Texas years ago at little dive seafood place on S. Padre that’s now long gone. It was one of those places where you sat at the counter and watched them shuck your oysters while you sipped your beer, slurping a dozen down and savoring a steaming cup of gumbo while your dinner plate was coming together. You might even get splashed with a little oyster liqueur if the shucker was telling a story and waving the oysters about.
When you do get a shot at oysters (hell, they’re flying them into Bozeman now no more than a day out the water) you need to craft your own BOLTs at least one time this fall or winter. These sandwiches are worth every penny.
We’re convinced these are best with a nice, home-crafted tartar sauce, though I’d bet my truck that they’d be killer with a chipotle or Sriracha aioli too.
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup AP flour
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red chile powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper2 dozen fresh-shucked oysters
10-12 slices thick cut bacon
Vegetable oil for frying the oystersPullman or your favorite sandwich bread, toasted
Sliced tomatoes
Lettuce of your choiceTartar sauce or mayonnaise
Start things right with bacon. Gather the ingredients and cook the bacon in batches as needed until crisp; drain on paper towels. You know you should be doing this in cast iron…
Meanwhile, dredge. Combine the cornmeal, flour, onion and garlic powders, chile powder, salt and pepper (to taste) in a medium bowl. Now dredge those fresh oysters in the mixture, shake off the excess and place in single layer on a plate.
Make the oyster magic. After you’ve finished with the bacon, leave the bacon fat in and pour in the oil of your choice (about an inch worth) and heat over medium-high until hot (test with a bit of the cornmeal mixture – it should bubble like mad when a bit is sprinkled in).
Now fry the oysters in batches, turning now and again, until crisp, golden-brown and just firming up. Drain on paper towels and eat the smallest one, tasting of course to see if it needs more salt and pepper; season the survivors as needed.
Build your masterpiece. Now build that sandwich – these are jaw-droppingly-good with a nice home-crafted tartar sauce, though I can understand those BLT purists out there who are salivating right now thinking about a big dollop of mayonnaise spread on their toasted bread.
These demand to be served with a cup of gumbo and a cold beer.
Enjoy.
