Oyster Loaf Sandwich

The oyster loaf sandwich is composed of a hollowed-out loaf of french bread that is buttered and toasted, then filled with oysters that have been lightly breaded in cornmeal and deep-fried. It was created during the late nineteenth century, when oysters, plentiful and cheap, were a popular American food. In New Orleans, Louisiana husbands who spent the evening carousing in the French Quarter often brought home an oyster loaf in the hope of pacifying a jealous wife; the oyster loaf was thus known as la médiatrice, or “the mediator.” Also laying claim to the oyster loaf is San Francisco, where it is said that Mayes Oyster House, established in 1867, created it. Various versions of the sandwich can typically be found in oyster-harvesting areas throughout the United States.