Brennan's of Houston Chili Fried Gulf Oysters

Source: Chef Carl Walker, Brennan's of Houston - Texas Department of Agriculture

Fried Oysters:
3 cups Chili Corn Sauce
Vegetable oil
3 cups Texas sweet potatoes, julienned
3/4 cup cornmeal or Masa Harina
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Creole seafood seasoning, divided evenly
36 Texas oysters

Chili Corn Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup Texas onion, julienned
3/4 cup Texas poblano pepper, julienned
3/4 cup Texas red pepper, julienned
1 1/2 cups fresh Texas corn kernels
1/2 cup tequila
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt and black pepper

Prepare Chili Corn Sauce; reserve and keep warm.

Heat about 2 inches of oil to 325 degrees F in a deep fat fryer. Fry sweet potatoes until crisp, drain on paper towels and reserve.

Combine cornmeal, flour and 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning in a medium bowl. Season oysters with remaining tablespoon of seafood seasoning, dredge in flour mixture, and fry in batches of 9 oysters at a time until crisp. Remove oysters and sprinkle with a little extra seafood seasoning; drain on paper towels on a rack. Keep warm.

Ladle 1/2 cup Chili Corn Sauce in center of each plate. Edge sauce with 6 oysters. Top the sauce with a mound of fried sweet potatoes.

Heat oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, poblano and red peppers, and corn; saut until vegetables are tender. Deglaze pan with tequila and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream, cumin, chili powder; cook until reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve and keep warm until ready to use.

A Texas Semillon or Sauvignon Blanc is a great accompaniment to this spicy dish.