The online magazine
dedicated to the
discussion & revival
of British foodways.

NO.72
FALL/WINTER2023

Hangtown Fry.

One of the best ways to cook oysters, connected by apochrophy to northern California at the time of the Gold Rush. Various colorful theories, none particularly convincing, account for the name. They still serve good ones at the Tadich Grill in San Francisco. For two.


Tadich-Grill.jpg-2-3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
-about 1/3 cup chopped onion
-about 1 Tablespoon minced parsley
-4-beaten eggs
-pinch cayenne
-pepper
-a dozen or so smallish oysters
-1 Tablespoon unsalted butter


 

  1. Soften the onion in the rendered bacon fat, remove it from the pan and let it cool.
  2. Stir together the egg, onion, parsley, cayenne, pepper and oysters along with about a Tablespoon of their liquor.
  3. Melt the butter over medium heat in the pan that held the bacon and onions.
  4. Slip the oyster eggs into the pan, cook the mixture until the eggs barely set, then scatter the bacon over the top and flip the Hangtown Fry over onto itself.
  5. Cut the impersonator of an omelet in half, run for cold beer and serve the Fry hot.

 

Notes:

- Purists (pedants?) will omit the onion and parsley.

- Some people add cooked spinach; not us.

- The Editor adds Worcestershire at Step 2.