Once you catch oyster fever, you can’t get enough of those delicious morsels: fried, stewed, steamed, sandwiched, or raw and topped with a perfect spoonful of flavor. You’ll order them in restaurants AND you’ll want to make them at home. Here are some of the best oyster cookbooks filled with recipes for preparing the bivalve. In addition to tried and true titles you’ll find a few newbies that will soon become classics for oyster lovers.
Best Oyster Cookbooks
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Gulf Coast Oysters: Classic & Modern Recipes of a Southern Renaissance - Few people understand and appreciate the Gulf region’s culinary history as well as author and chef Irv Miller. He not only recognized that the Gulf (especially the stretch known as the Redneck Riviera) has its own cuisine and culinary traditions beyond New Orleans, but his decades of work in some of the region’s signature restaurants helped shape those traditions. His exploration of Gulf Coast oysters (with 60+ recipes) proves to be both mouthwatering and enlightening to oyster lovers everywhere.
Oysters: Recipes that Bring Home a Taste of the Sea – I recently met Cynthia Mims and got a sneak peek at her gorgeous new book at the Hangout Oyster Cookoff. I wish I hadn’t given it back! Can’t wait to cook Hangtown Hash or taste the Kimchi-Cucumber Relish. Oysters features 30 recipes, plus drink pairings, and tips for buying, storing, and shucking. 
The Hog Island Oyster Lover’s Cookbook: A Guide to Choosing and Savoring Oysters 
– Jairemarie Pomo’s book is the new testament for oyster lovers. Beautifully photographed, it includes 40 recipes (cooked oysters and raw oyster toppings). 176 pages overflow with information ranging from oyster varieties to storage and preparation to drink pairings and oyster farming. It is a must-have for oyster newbies and old salts. 
The Louisiana Seafood Bible: Oysters – A collection of 75 oyster recipes from Louisiana? Yes! The state that gave us Oysters Rockefeller seems to be a font of recipes for cooked oysters. The recipes have mouthwatering, in-your-face photos. If food porn were a category in Amazon, this title would be at the top of the list. Authors Jerald and Glenda Horst also dive deep into the state’s oyster business and its history. 
Crabs and Oysters: A Savor the South Cookbook - First in the category of “soon to be iconic” oyster cookbooks is chef Bill Smith’s Crabs & Oysters. Smith, who knows Southern foodways as well or better than any chef alive, beautifully adapts heirloom dishes as well as he creates original recipes. 50 recipes (including Bill’s Pickled Oysters) and detailed preparation techniques and tips fill the pages.
The Oyster King Cookbook by Jesper Dannenberg Voss, Colin John Seymour, and Friends. Through its recipe collection, this book explores coastal towns and introduces chefs, but ultimately is all about the oyster dishes. You’ll find classics such as oysters Fitzpatrick and fantastic creations like Oyster Hotdog Tempura with Black Garlic Aioli. I’m starting with “Fano Oyster King” simply topped with thin-sliced strawberries, a few drops of lime juice, and black pepper! All 34 recipes are presented in Danish, German, and English.
Panhandle to Pan: Recipes and Stories from Florida’s New Redneck Riviera – Chef Irv Miller explores the Florida Panhandle’s cuisine, so of course he features a full chapter on oysters! Along with the recipes, find the latest on Apalachicola and the state of the bay and its magnificent oysters. Don’t miss his recipes for Spicy Tamari Sauce or fried Cannonball Oysters with Sweet and Spicy Chili Sauce. More Oyster Recipes
- Lucy Buffet’s Winter Gumbo
- Char-Grilled Oysters with Aged Country Ham
- 10 Easy Oyster Appetizers
- Fried Oyster Roll with Lemony Coleslaw
- Gin Oysters on the Half-Shell
Summary
Article Name
The Best Oyster Cookbooks
DescriptionOyster Obsession's selection of the very best oyster cookbooks for seafood lovers. From recent releases to classics, these are the must-have recipe collections for any oyster-phile's library or kitchen counter.
Author
Jason Burnett
Publisher Name
Oyster Obsession
Publisher Logo
Only US books ???
Hey Jesper! English language books. The Oyster King Cookbook is in there! We got it added this morning just as the email was going out. I had to add the link from The Oysterhood for US buyers. -Jason