Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup minced sweet pickle
• 1 hard-boiled large egg, forced through a coarse sieve
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons drained bottled capers
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon
• 2 tablespoons Creole or Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 24 shucked oysters, drained
• Yellow cornmeal, seasoned with freshly ground black pepper and cayenne, for coating
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 loaves soft-crusted French bread
• Sliced tomatoes
• Shredded iceberg lettuce

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Instructions

1. Make tartar sauce: In a small bowl stir together sauce ingredients.
2. In a heavy kettle heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 375 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer.
3. In a heavy-duty plastic bag, working in batches of 6, coat oysters with cornmeal, knocking off excess. Fry oysters in batches of 6, turning occasionally, until golden and just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer oysters with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
4. Halve loaves crosswise and horizontally, cutting all the way through and spread each piece with about 2 tablespoons tartar sauce. Divide the tomatoes, lettuce, and oysters among bottom pieces of bread and top with remaining bread, pressing together gently.