Oyster Bisque Light Food

OYSTER BISQUE WITH MUSHROOMS AND WILD RICE

Steps:

• Rinse oysters thoroughly in cold water to remove the sand and drain, reserving as much oyster liquor as possible. Also strain out sandy particles or pieces of shell that might be present in the liquor.
• Place dehydrated mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with boiling water and let stand for 30 minutes. (Since the dehydrated mushrooms can be a bit spendy, I just purchase a small package of mixed wild mushrooms that include porcinis). To remove any sand that might be present, strain liquid through a cheese cloth and reserve the liquid. Chop the rehydrated mushrooms finely.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, rehydrated mushrooms, thyme, and nutmeg until vegetables are soft and translucent. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until well incorporated and allow flour to brown slightly. (I probably use at least 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Chef Sarah calls for a "pinch.").
• Gradually add in the reserved mushroom liquid, fish stock, oyster juices, and sherry. (If you do not have fish stock, use bottled clam juice. But it is easy to make using fish heads, fish bone trimmings, onion, and celery. Although salmon heads can be used for some types of stock, I prefer to use heads from white fish, like cod or snapper.) Simmer soup base uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the soup is simmering, slice the button mushrooms and chop remaining fresh mushrooms. Then saute in 2 tablespoons of butter. Although Chef Sarah only uses button mushroom and oyster mushrooms, I prefer to add other types of fresh mushrooms. I have noted from other recipes that oyster mushrooms are usually a substitute for Hen of the Woods mushrooms, but the latter have such an intensely earthy flavor and an interesting texture.
• Also while soup is simmering prepare wild rice according to package directions.
• Once base has simmered long enough to get all the flavors married, add the light cream. Then puree with an immersion blender. (Chef Sarah also purees the oyster mushrooms in with the base, but I would rather leave them chopped with the other fresh mushrooms).
• Add in sauteed fresh mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups of prepared wild rice, and oysters. Heat thoroughly to blend the flavors and cook until the edges of the oysters curl slightly. Adjust flavors with salt, pepper, and additional sherry. Serve at once, garnished with chopped parsley or thyme leaves and a splash of sherry in each bowl.
• Note: To prepare according to cookbook recipe, use only oyster mushrooms and button mushrooms. Finely chop the oyster mushrooms, so they can be pureed in with the base. Then combine sliced button mushrooms, oysters, and wild rice and complete as above. Also recipe from cookbook uses cream sherry and heavy cream instead of light cream.

GRANDPA'S OYSTER STEW

Steps:

• Stir butter and garlic in stockpot over medium heat until butter begins to brown. Remove garlic and discard.
• Stir shallots into browned butter. Cook and stir until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour sherry over shallots in the stockpot and bring to a boil while scraping any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour reserved oyster liquor, milk, and cream into the stockpot; bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in oysters; cook until oyster edges begin to ruffle, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir in parsley; season with sea salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sweet paprika and oyster crackers.

OYSTER CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, followed by the celery and leeks. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but are not browning, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the wine to the vegetables and let reduce by half. Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Add the clam juice, 1 cup water and the reserved oyster liquor. The potatoes will soak up some of the saltiness of the oysters and their liquor, giving them great flavor. Bring to a simmer, cover and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Remove 1 1/2 cups of the soup, blend until smooth in a blender or food processor and return to the pot. Stir in the half-and-half and seafood seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer before adding the oysters. Cook just until the oysters begin to curl, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and garnish with parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.

LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Fill large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. There should be enough water to cover lobsters completely when immersed. Place live lobsters in boiling water head first to minimize splashing. When water re-boils, turn down the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not overcook lobsters. Remove lobsters from the pot using tongs; save all the water in stockpot as this is now a flavorful stock to be re-used.
• Place 10 cups of stock in a clean stockpot and put on low heat. Clean claws and tails of lobsters and reserve meat, legs, and swimmerets. After lobsters are cleaned, place shells in stockpot with 10 cups of stock. Cut bodies in quarters and place in stockpot, making sure to include all roe and tomalley in pot. Add 1 cup tomato paste and simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to have heat so high as to burn stock. Pour entire contents of pot through sieve into clean stockpot; this should now be 8 cups of glorious red stock.
• Place onions, celery, carrots, thyme, parsley and saffron in a large saute pan, add 4 cups stock from original stock pot and put on high heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup tomato paste and black pepper. Turn down heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Press entire contents of saute pan through sieve into stockpot of 8 cups previously made stock.
• To finish Bisque, put pot on medium heat. Add heavy cream slowly, using whisk to blend. Add sherry. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes; bisque will thicken slightly. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and slowly add to bisque with whisk. Simmer on low heat for another 20 minutes.
• If you prefer your bisque to be thicker, you may add more cornstarch, or perhaps, flour, but have found the bisque thickens nicely over low heat, and additional cornstarch or flour takes away from the wonderful flavor.
• Place pieces of previous cleaned lobster meat in bowl and add 1 cup of bisque. Garnish with legs and swimmerets around the bowl and one parsley leaf in center, if desired.

OYSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy kettle. Add the celery and shallots.
• Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes over moderately low heat until vegetables are soft. Pour in the strained liquid, milk and cream.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer.
• (Do not boil.) Beat the egg yolks lightly in a small bowl.
• Whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks; stir the milk-egg mixture into the kettle. Add the oysters, salt and pepper.
• Simmer, stirring, until bisque is lightly thickened, and the edges of the oyste rs have curled.
• Do not let the bisque come to a boil.
• Transfer to a heated soup tureen and sprinkle with the paprika.

OYSTER SOUP

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream and oyster liquor from the oysters to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the celery and a pinch of the salt and sweat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and continue cooking until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery seed, hot pepper sauce, and oysters and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters start to curl.
• Transfer the oysters to the carafe of a blender and add enough of the cream just to cover.*
• Puree until the mixture is smooth. Return the remaining cream to medium heat, add the pureed mixture, and cook until heated through.
• Just before serving, add the lemon juice, chopped herbs, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

OYSTER BISQUE - LIGHT

Steps:

• Drain the oysters in a colander over a bowl, reserve the liquid.
• Add enough clam juice to the oyster liquid to make one cup and set aside.
• Reserve the remaining clam juice for another use.
• Coarsely chop oysters.
• Combine water and saffron, if using, in a small bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the onion and celery, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir in flour and coriander, cook 1 minute.
• Add the oyster liquid, saffron water if using, or tumeric, and milk,stirring with a whisk.
• Cook until thick, about 12 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the oysters, parsley, salt and cayenne.
• Cook 3 minutes or until edges of oysters curl.

TOMATO OYSTER BISQUE, TUREEN-STYLE

Steps:

• Beat egg yolk until light, reserve; whip egg white to stiff peaks and place into tureen.
• Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and blend.
• Add milk radually, stirring constantly.
• Stir until very smooth; add salt and pepper.
• Cook oysters with celery salt in remaining tablespoon butter and the oyster liquor.
• When the edges of the oysters curl, add the hot oyster liquor to the beaten egg yolk, stirring constantly.
• Add the oyster mixture and oysters to the sauce in saucepan.
• After the oysters are added, the mixture should not be permitted to boil.
• Stir in the tomato soup, which has been heated.
• Pour soup over the whipped egg white, mixing carefully.

SPINACH AND OYSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Drain the oysters in a fine sieve set over a measuring cup, add enough water to the oyster liquor to measure 2 1/2 cups, and reserve the liquid. Discard any shell fragments from the oysters, rinse the oysters briefly, and chop them into 1/2-inch pieces. In a kettle cook the onion in the butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it is pale golden, add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the reserved oyster liquid and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking. Add the spinach, half the oysters, and the tarragon and simmer the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes. In a blender purée the mixture in batches until it is smooth, transferring it as it is puréed to a bowl, and return it to the kettle. Add the cream and the remaining oysters and heat the bisque over moderate heat, stirring, until it is hot and the oysters are cooked, but do not let it boil. Stir in the zest, the sugar, the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and serve the bisque with the oyster crackers.

CORN AND OYSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Cut the corn kernels from the cobs on a work surface, transfer them to a large saucepan, and with the back of a knife scrape the milk from the cobs into the pan. Cut each cob into 3 pieces and add them to the pan. Add the water and the bay leaf and simmer the mixture, covered, for 30 minutes. Discard the cobs and the bay leaf, in a blender purée the corn mixture in batches, and strain the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Transfer the purée to the pan and pour the reserved oyster liquor through a fine sieve into the pan. Add the milk, the Tabasco, and salt to taste and heat the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, being careful not to let it boil, until it is hot. Add the oysters and heat the soup, stirring, being careful not to let it boil, for 3 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters curl. Ladle the soup into heated shallow bowls and garnish each serving with some of the parsley and the paprika.