I’ve never had oysters before (I’m vegetarian), but these few ingredients don’t seem like they would replicate oyster flavor. What would you add to make it better? I’m really interested in making it!
by Frankie2059
I’ve never had oysters before (I’m vegetarian), but these few ingredients don’t seem like they would replicate oyster flavor. What would you add to make it better? I’m really interested in making it!
by Frankie2059
11 Comments
Oyster liquor from raw oysters.
Yuck
You are correct it’s cabbage and crackers and that what it is going to taste like.
You are not going to replicate the taste of oysters. You could add clam juice to give a shellfish flavor but that’s not vegetarian. I don’t know what vegetarian additions you could make to help.
A chopped onion (cook it with the cabbage), black pepper, and your choice of herbs. I think savory or thyme would be nice. Fresh parsley or dill if you have it. I also might do a dash of white wine or lemon juice to give it a little zing. Or maybe just drink the wine with it.
Old Bay ftw!
It’s been a very long time since I’ve had oysters but this abomination is nowhere close to replicating it.
First you need some rubber bands, a pinch of sand and some runny overcooked cornmeal–because once you cook an oyster, that’s the texture. Mix that in with the crackers. Do not forget the rubber bands.
For the flavor, dirty beach water mixed with sage and chinese mushroom sauce. Not salt water. Dirty beach water. Bonus if it has some sand in it.
Basically there’s nothing you can do to make this better because cooked oysters have a bizarre texture and a bad aftertaste.
I don’t think I’ve had oysters before myself but if you want a seafood type flavor as a vegetarian, some form of seaweed might help. I also haven’t yet eaten salsify/scorzonera but they are (roots that are) sometimes said to taste like oysters, so I guess you could experiment if you can get them.
If you are not that interested in a seafood taste, I think u/beeswax999 has some pretty good ideas. You could probably get more flavors by sauteing the cabbage and onion and potentially getting some browning, rather than boiling, although boiling onion *can* produce interesting flavors.
This is a rationing recipe. Vegetables were the only thing not rationed, so there were tons of “mock” recipes like this, telling housewives how to 1. do something different with the same sack of cabbage for the 3rd month in a row and 2. fool their family into thinking it’s meat or at least pretending.
Husbands were advised to not ask where any meat that came to the table came from.
Boil some konbu seaweed with the cabbage, then remove it when the cabbage is done. It’s a great umami bomb that tastes like the sea, and it won’t offend your vegetarian friends.
This is right up there with water pie.
I have no idea about this recipe, but I did find a mock oyster casserole recipe online that uses eggplant and is vegetarian, but really, nothing will mimic the flavor of oysters unless you’re using some sort of fish sauce which isn’t vegetarian.
https://www.food.com/recipe/mock-oysters-eggplant-casserole-277744