Best way to buy oysters for frying?

Lately I've seen TV cooks make fried oysters and have read about them online and in magazines... so I got a hankering. Happened to be at the store and, though I wasn't really shopping for them, I noticed a small can of oysters and figured I'd give them a go. "Canned" is probably the bad word here. Rinsed well, dried, floured, egged and bread-crumbed then into about an inch and a half of canola oil in a cast iron pan. Served up with a simple tartar sauce they weren't that good. Not REAL bad, but pretty fishy and mushy.

Then I remembered the refrigerated pints I would usually buy to make oyster stew. I assume they would be better? I have no good fresh options locally so I'm just wondering what would be the best way to buy them for breaded-fried.

And today, with a much better result, I bought a package of 60-count, frozen, cooked shrimp. Thawed, de-tailed and ran them through the same treatment. WOW! Fantastic bite-size appetizers with a simple ketchup-horseradish-minced celery and lemon juice hot sauce and a simple garnish of chopped parsley.

And I always thought frying/deep-frying was something I didn't want to mess with.

I think you would be much happier with the refrigerated pints. My personal preference is to buy the smallest ones available because I like mine well done and not mushy in the center. They will be done inside and not too brown on the outside. This is what my Mom used to fix for my father. At that time neither she nor I ate oysters.

Lately I've seen TV cooks make fried oysters and have read about them online and in magazines... so I got a hankering. Happened to be at the store and, though I wasn't really shopping for them, I noticed a small can of oysters and figured I'd give them a go. "Canned" is probably the bad word here. Rinsed well, dried, floured, egged and bread-crumbed then into about an inch and a half of canola oil in a cast iron pan. Served up with a simple tartar sauce they weren't that good. Not REAL bad, but pretty fishy and mushy.

Then I remembered the refrigerated pints I would usually buy to make oyster stew. I assume they would be better? I have no good fresh options locally so I'm just wondering what would be the best way to buy them for breaded-fried.

And today, with a much better result, I bought a package of 60-count, frozen, cooked shrimp. Thawed, de-tailed and ran them through the same treatment. WOW! Fantastic bite-size appetizers with a simple ketchup-horseradish-minced celery and lemon juice hot sauce and a simple garnish of chopped parsley.


And I always thought frying/deep-frying was something I didn't want to mess with.

I hardly know what to say. I'm sure they were just dreadful. The only seafood in a can I am aware of that is even remotely acceptable is tuna.

Every large supermarket in the country can obtain fresh shell oysters - all you have to do is ask.

And I'm sure most of your local supermarkets have the jarred (fresh) oysters available at least a couple of days per week. You'll probably be presented with a choice of "selects" or "extra selects."

The shrimp would have been even better if you'd bought them raw in the shell and peeled and cooked them yourself.

Definitely use refrigerated fresh pints. The only things I do with these pints are to fry them as an appetizer or bake them in a very savory bread crumb drizzled with some of the liquid. I only get these fresh from the Gulf Coast 2-3 times a year and it's a treat. Would never fry fresh, in the shell oysters though - love them raw.
There is a place for deep frying. I would never miss the opportunity to fry zuccchini blossoms.

Thanks all for your input... should have known better than to buy canned oysters!

Chef Carey, agreed about the uncooked shrimp over the cooked. I happened to be shopping at a market with the moniker of "Save-A-Lot" and cooked shrimp were the only choice. On the other hand, I left the store with a 10 ounce bag of shrimp, a lemon, a bottle of prepared horseradish, and a bottle of decent, if not great, white wine all for $12.00 and change!