The oyster roast is a food practice and ritual that should be experienced at least once in a lifetime. Like most communal supping events, the oyster roast embodies the best of fellowship over food. It is an extension of summer that lasts throughout the fall season into the spring.
Over the years, Black Southern Belle has covered oysters as a source of income, community-building and Southern recreation. (Keep reading to connect to links to those articles at the end.) This time we’re sharing recipe books that offer the perfect complements to your oyster roast meal. We’ve selected recipes straight from books authored by African American women in observance of National Cookbook Month. Selected recipes cover everything from sides and appetizers to cocktails and punches to desserts.
Relishes, appetizers and nibbles
Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin
- Benne Wafers (for dips)
- Savannah Pickled Shrimp Sweet Potato Biscuits with HamÂ
Sides, extras and entrée options
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett, the matriarch of Edisto Island
- Okra Gumbo
- Black-Eyed Peas
Sallie Ann Robinson’s Kitchen: Food and Family Lore from the Lowcountry
- Gullah Chicken Gumbo
- ’Fuskie Shrimp and Blue Crab Burger
- Sautéed Cabbage with Sweet Onion
Speaking of the incomparable Sallie Ann Robinson. She is featured in a video putting together an oyster roast: Traditional Gullah Oyster Roast COMFORT NATION | Comfort Nation| Food Network.
Cocktails, punches and cold drinks
Holy Spirits! by Cocktail Bandits
- Fresh Blush
- Carolina ShandyÂ
Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine: 25th Edition by Norma Jean and Carole Darden
Granddad Sampson’s Honey Punch
BONUS: Try to serve soda pop by African American makers such as Bingo-Bango out of North Carolina. For craft beer try Missouri’s first Black brewery Vine Street Brewery.
Desserts and sweet treats
The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family with over 100 Recipes by Kardea Brown
- Savory Bread Pudding
- Peach Dump CakeÂ
Hopefully, you will find inspiration in one or more of these cookbooks. More than anything, we hope you have the occasion to attend an oyster roast or host one. (Follow Black Girls and Oysters on Instagram for shucking guidance reels.)
Read more about oysters:
Want to know how to dress for an oyster roast? Read A BLACK SOUTHERN BELLE’S STYLE GUIDE TO THE OUTDOOR OYSTER ROAST
Want tips on hosting an oyster roast? Read GULLAH FOOD HERITAGE: TIPS FOR HOSTING AN OYSTER ROAST WITH A CATERER FROM CAROLIMA’S
Robin Caldwell
Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and academic researcher focusing on Black history, heritage and culture. Public historian primarily in Black American historical foodways: antebellum and regional.
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Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and academic researcher focusing on Black history, heritage and culture. Public historian primarily in Black American historical foodways: antebellum and regional.
