Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›Cafe Thirty-A›Fried Oyster Spinach Salad Recipe

Fried Oyster Spinach Salad Recipe

Inspired by Cafe Thirty-A
Time40m
Serves4

Hickory Smoked Bacon ~ Pickled Red Onion ~ Cherry Tomatoes ~ Bacon Vinaigrette

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Ingredients

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Salad Base

Fried Oysters

Bacon Vinaigrette

Method

Prepare the Salad Base

  1. 1

    Wash and Prepare Spinach

    Thoroughly wash the fresh spinach leaves under cold water. Remove any tough stems and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Place the spinach in a large salad bowl.

  2. 2

    Add Cherry Tomatoes and Pickled Red Onions

    Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl with spinach. Add the pickled red onion to the salad bowl as well. Set aside.

Fry the Oysters

  1. 3

    Prepare the Breading

    In a shallow bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, and black pepper together. In another bowl, whisk the egg and milk together.

  2. 4

    Coat the Oysters

    Dip each oyster first into the egg mixture, then into the flour-cornmeal mixture, ensuring they are well-coated.

  3. 5

    Heat the Oil

    In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.

  4. 6

    Fry the Oysters

    Carefully place the breaded oysters into the hot oil, frying in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Prepare the Bacon Vinaigrette

  1. 7

    Cook the Bacon

    In a skillet, cook the hickory smoked bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet.

  2. 8

    Make the Vinaigrette

    In the same skillet with the reserved drippings, whisk in the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified.

  3. 9

    Crumble the Bacon

    Crumble the cooked bacon into small pieces and add to the vinaigrette, mixing well.

Assemble the Salad

  1. 10

    Combine Ingredients

    Pour the bacon vinaigrette over the spinach, cherry tomatoes, and pickled red onion. Toss gently to coat the salad evenly.

  2. 11

    Top with Fried Oysters

    Arrange the fried oysters on top of the salad. Serve immediately while the oysters are still warm.

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