FRIED BUTTER RECIPES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then raise the heat a little and cook at a bare simmer for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then pour through a fine-meshed strainer. (Save any milky juices, solids or foam left behind to add to rice or vegetables.) The clarified butter can be kept in a covered jar in the refrigerator for several weeks.
• Remove the crusts from the French loaf. Tear the bread into chunks and pulse in a food processor or blender to make about 4 cups of crumbs. The crumbs will keep in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for several days, or for longer in the freezer, tightly wrapped.
• Season the flour generously with salt and pepper. Dip the oysters in the flour and then in the beaten eggs. Spread a layer of bread crumbs on a baking sheet. Place the oysters on the sheet and sprinkle with more crumbs. Roll the oysters in the crumbs so that they are well coated, adding more if necessary.
• Heat a wide cast-iron skillet over a medium-high flame. Add clarified butter to a depth of 1/2 inch. Toss in a bread crumb — if it browns quickly the butter is hot enough. Carefully slip in breaded oysters in a single layer, frying in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Adjust the heat to keep the oysters gently bubbling in the butter. It should take about 2 minutes to get a golden, crisp coating. Turn the oysters and brown the other side, then drain on kitchen towels. Serve hot with red-pepper mayonnaise, lemon wedges and arugula or watercress, if you like.

Steps:

• Place 2 pieces of white bread in the toaster on a light setting. Heat skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter. While the bread is toasting, in a small bowl, using a fork mash the ripe banana until it reaches a smooth consistency. Using a knife, take both pieces of the toasted bread and spread 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, topping 1 side with the mashed banana. Place 1 slice of bread on top of the other forming a sandwich. Place sandwich in hot skillet browning each side, flipping with a spatula, about 2 minutes per side. Take out of skillet, slice on a diagonal and serve on a plate.