A growing number of news stories has suggested that oyster ice cream is a blast from the past that we need to resurrect, especially on Thanksgiving. Mark Twain is said to have loved the stuff and to have referenced it in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Dolley Madison was reputed to have served it at the White House. George Washington allegedly couldn't get enough of the briny confection. Now you can even learn how to make oyster ice cream on YouTube. And none other than famed Chef José Andrés has featured the confection at his America Eats Tavern in Washington, DC—a restaurant billed as a "unique take on America's classic cuisine," which started out as a pop-up in conjunction with the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Google "oyster ice cream" and "Thanksgiving" and you'll get 1,700 results. According to chef and restaurateur José Andrés, oyster ice cream is made by "gently heating oysters and cream", before freezing the product. [4] Food historian Robert Brantley describes the oyster ice cream of the 1800s as “[e]ssentially...frozen oyster chowder. They served it unsweetened." [5] Oyster ice cream has a savory flavor as opposed to a sweet one. [4] Lorraine Eaton of The Virginian-Pilot wrote that one of her colleagues at work "had nearly thrown up" after tasting Eaton's homemade oyster ice cream; others had favorable criticism for the ice cream flavor. [6]

Contrary to their name – they don’t actually contain any oysters, but rather likely got their name for their oyster-like shape, and the fact that they were traditionally served with a lovely oyster stew. Place the top panel of the cake. Cut off the excess paste and smooth the fondant and seams with a fondant smoother. Miley Theobald, Mary (Winter 2010). "Some Cold, Hard Historical Facts about Good Old Ice Cream". The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Add water and stir with a spoon until all ingredients come together into a ball. Knead it for a few seconds. Add very little additional flour or water if needed (the ratio always works for me). Set the dough aside, covered, to rest for 10 minutes.With the leftover marbled fondant from this panel, roll into a rope shape, then into a snail shape. Add the butter, and using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, and work into flour until it resembles a coarse meal or chunky breadcrumbs. Add the water slowly, and lightly knead the dough until it comes together into a ball. But, here's the thing: To the knowledge of the several culinary historians I spoke with, oyster ice cream never showed up in any other American cookbook ever again. What's more, no other authoritative records point to the popularity—or even the existence—of oyster ice cream. Remove the rice paper from the water, letting the excess water drip off and form the rice paper on the silicone mat, leaving some creases and folds.

While the pan is heating, tear sheets of wafer paper into 4-6 pieces. I used 2 sheets to have a variety of shapes to choose from. You will also be able to shape the wafer paper to the desired size after it has cooled from frying. KCRW's Good Food Video Blog features Chef Kyle Schutte making oyster ice cream using liquid nitrogen. To make the sea foam, you will need to pan fry the wafer paper. This technique causes the wafer paper to bubble, giving it a foamy appearance. The primary focus to this cake is off to the right hand side. The waves should come off and away from the cake. I used 3 waves per tier.Two varieties of oyster ice cream were featured at the Colchester Oyster Festival in Colchester, Essex, in September 2012. [7] "Oyster-and-ginger" ice cream was served at the 23rd Oyster Festival in Arcata Main Street in June 2013. [8] [9] See also [ edit ] Swerdloff, Alex (18 November 2016). "The Long, Weird History and Mythology of Oyster Ice Cream". Vice.com. November 18, 2016 . Retrieved 5 April 2021. Randolph, Mary (1824). The Virginia Housewife (1836ed.). Baltimore, Maryland: John Plaskitt. pp.16, 144 . Retrieved 5 April 2021. Contrary to various news reports in the 21st century, oyster ice cream was not served at the First Thanksgiving, nor was it a favorite of George Washington's, nor served in the White House by Dolley Madison, nor mentioned by Mark Twain in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. [3] 21st century [ edit ]

Step Three: In a large pan, melt the butter over a medium heat, add the brown sugar, and then stir until it has all totally dissolved. Place a sheet of rice paper into the water, making sure it's fully submerged. Let the paper soak for 20 seconds. Flip the paper over and and let it soak until softened. a b Shute, Nancy (November 23, 2011). "Oyster Ice Cream: A Thanksgiving Tradition Mark Twain Could Get Behind". NPR. Work butter cubes into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, a knife, or simply your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Step Three: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in your heated oven, stirring them gently every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and then allow them to cool before you serve them.Wafer paper is a starched based (usually potato starch) edible paper used in cake decorating. It has a very subtle flavor, mostly tasteless and can be eaten. It's seemingly similar to printer or copy paper in texture, but it can be manipulated to make cake decorations and edible flowers. It typically will not spoil, unless exposed to water or humidity, so it will keep for years in a zip top bag. Jump to:

Bottom line, Capehart said, is that "the first Thanksgiving" and all its trappings, is a late 19th-century invention. She said, "Most of what we learn in school is a myth! Besides, Jamestown in Virginia was the real first colony in the US. But that's a whole 'nother story."

But the mystery remained unsolved: When did these two foods unite, if at all? The culinary experts I reached out to were befuddled by oyster ice cream. "I have never seen a recipe for oyster ice cream other than Randolph's," Schmidt said. "I have been perplexed by oyster ice cream ever since I spotted a recipe for it in Mary Randolph's Virginia House-Wife many, many years ago. I do not know its place in the dinner schema of the time—perhaps it replaced the soup or was served as an alternative choice to a soup (instead of a second soup, as was typical), but I am only guessing." Cathy Kaufman agrees. She said, "It is very odd."