Gotcha! There is another way to eat this delicacy. Try it and see if you agree.
- 4 cups fish stock
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 4 oz. smoked bacon, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 35 shucked oysters, reserving liquour
- 2 cups spinach leaves, stemmed and washed, dried and chiffonade style
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (again, 36% if you can buy it)
- 2 egg yolks
- pinch of tabasco sauce, fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. Pernod liqueur
In a large saucepan,, combine the stock and broth bringing to a boil. Reduce temerature and keep hot.
In a soup pot, sweat the shallots in the butter and bacon for 6-7 minutes without browning. Add the flour, and with a wooden spoon, stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat, add the hot stock/broth whisking together gently to combine. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15-18 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from the stove, add the spinach, oyster liquour and season to taste. Reheat the soup 15 minutes before serving.
Warm the soup bowls and then combine the cream and yolks. Temper the mixture with a large ladle of hot soup and whisk well to avoid curdling. Add the egg mixtue to the pot and heat until almost boiling. This must be constantly stirred. Add the oysters and cook only for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add the tabasco, lemon juice and Pernod.
Oysters With Pea Sprouts And Bacon
This is a nice appetizer for a special dinner. Mind you, with special friends and family, this could be any dinner you are planning.
- 18 medium sized oysters, shucked and on half shells
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 cups fresh pea sprouts
- 1/4 cup Asiago cheese, finely grated
- 4 strips bacon, baked crisp and chopped
- 1/4 cup pimentos, diced for garnish
Preheat broiler to high. Place oysters on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pea gravel to prevent the shells from tipping. If you don’t have pea gravel on hand (and who does?) roll up balls of tin foil and set the oysters on top of them.
In a shallow pot, heat the stock and add the garlic and pea sprouts until they have JUST wilted and still a bright green. Drain in a strainer and toss to cool quickly. Mince coarsely and set aside.
Make a Hollandaise Sauce (below) then place the oysters under the broiler for about 2 minutes or until warm. Take them out and, working quickly, place a tbsp. of the sprouts on each one and some of the sauce. Sprinkle the cheese over. Place them back under the broiler until they are a golden brown (about 60 seconds).
Garnish each one with some crisp bacon and chopped pimento. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately. Can you hear the groans of pleasure now?
A lovely Brut goes well with this or, your choice of a crisp white wine, well chilled of course. Enjoy!
Hollandaise Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
- hot sauce (only to taste)
Put butter in a measuring cup and heat in the microwave until melted. In a blender combine the egg yolks, lemon juice and Worchestershire sauce. Cover and blend until combined (about 5 seconds or so). With the blender on high, add the butter in a steady stream . This should thicken up immediately. Season with the hot sauce to taste.
Jambalaya – Canadian Way
This is a true Jambalaya, but in a Canadian “French Quarter” way. Read through and then give it a try. This recipe will serve 4.
It’s not quite the recipe that Don and Gena invented a couple of years ago and THAT was fabulous. Just one thing wrong…..no one can remember all what went into it. It was absolutely fabulous so I guess we have to wait until Gena comes back and those two go at it again!
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 2 1/2 tbsp. lard
- 2/3 cup smoked ham, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped smoked sausage
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery, peeled
- 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken in bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp. grated garlic
- 1 lb. fresh roma tomatoes, chopped
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce (homemade if you have it) canned
- 2 cups seafood stock
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion (yuk)
- 2 cups uncooked converted rice
- 3/4 cup shrimp, peeled, medium
- 10 oz. oysters in their own liquid
Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large suacepan, melt the lard over medium heat and add the ham and sausage and saute until crisp, stirring constantly.
Add the onions, celery and green peppers and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken. Raise the heat to high and cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring, so as not to burn.
Reduce to medium heat, add the seasonings and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Yes, constantly stirring. Add the tomatoes and cook until the chicken is tender (about 8 minutes). Now add the tomato sauce and cook for 7 minutes more. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the green onions and cook for about 2 minutes.
Now….add the rice, shrimp and oysters. Stir this well and remove from the heat.
Transfer this to a large baking pan , cover with foil and bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately with the Creole Sauce (recipe follows).
Creole Sauce
Be really careful with this sauce…you pour it over the Jambalaya but it is seriously HOT.
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 3/4 tsp. oregano
- 4 tsp. salt
- 3 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp sweet paprika
- pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup peeled and chopped roma tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chopped white onion
- 3/4 cup chopped and peeled celery
- 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. grated garlic
- 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup tomato sauce (homemade if you have any left)
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
Melt the butter in a large skillet and stir in the tomatoes, onion, celery and peppers. Add the garlic and seasoning mix and blend really well. Saute for about 5 minutes and the onion is transparent.
Stir in the stock, tomato sauce, sugar and Tabasco and bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Before serving, remove the bay leaves.
Serve with a lovely Ciabatta bread, toasted and buttered. Add a glass of your favourite red, light the candles and enjoy!