EL DORADO HIGH COUNTRY WHITE + PLACERVILLE'S WORLD FAMOUS HANGTOWN FRY
Harvest 2021
Since we’re celebrating all things El Dorado, there was no doubt in our mind that we’d feature its most famous dish in this issue’s FUN WITH PAIRINGS — Placerville’s Hangtown Fry. It’s an incomparable omelet in which fresh oysters are lightly breaded, pan-fried in bacon drippings, and tossed with beaten eggs, bacon, and a splash of Tabasco. It happens to pair perfectly with our High Country White, made from high-elevation vineyards located just a couple miles away from Placerville’s original hangin’ spot, Hangman’s Tree. (does it get any better??)
Legend has it that Hangtown Fry was invented in our old hometown of Placerville (then known as Hangtown and still called that by many) when a gold prospector struck it rich, headed to the Cary House Hotel (still open, and nicknamed the Scary House), and demanded the most expensive dish the kitchen could provide. The costliest ingredients available were eggs, which were delicate and had to be carefully brought to the mining town; bacon, which was shipped from the East Coast; and oysters, which had to be brought on ice from San Francisco, over 100 miles away.
Hangtown Fry has been famously served at San Francisco’s Tadich Grill for 160 years, and we’ve found it at fine dining establishments all over the country. Here, we’re sharing Saveur’s take on the dish.
Ingredients
12 oysters, such as Bluepoint or Fanny Bay, shucked
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1⁄4 cup flour
7 eggs
1⁄2 cup bread crumbs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Hot sauce, for serving
Pat oysters dry, season with salt and pepper; set aside. Put flour, 1 beaten egg, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dip each oyster in flour, then egg, then crumbs; place on a floured plate.
Heat butter in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oysters; fry, flipping once, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Whisk remaining eggs in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add eggs to pan with half the bacon and scallions. Cook until eggs are just set, about 3 minutes. Smooth over top; cover, and cook until top is set, about 5 minutes. Transfer omelette to a plate, and garnish with remaining bacon and scallions.
Serve with a glass of Gros Ventre Cellars’ High Country White, and make sure to raise it to Old Hangtown.
Need more wine? Purchase yours today at https://www.grosventrecellars.com/product/2022-high-country-white.