Poached Oysters With Stilton Cream Food

POACHED OYSTERS IN PERNOD CREAM

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together creme fraiche, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Refrigerate, and let drain for 2 hours. Transfer solids to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups reserved oyster liquor, and the Pernod; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and remaining teaspoon pepper; reduce heat to medium. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes; remove from heat. Add half of the spinach to saucepan and puree mixture using an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large skillet; keep warm.
• Heat oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, fry remaining spinach until crispy, about 45 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked spinach and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate; season with salt.
• Add oysters to cream sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the edges start to curl, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• To serve, arrange six oysters in each of six shallow bowls. Spoon 1/2 cup cream sauce into each bowl; spoon a dollop of creme fraiche in the center, top with caviar, and garnish with fried spinach. Serve immediately.

POACHED OYSTERS AND ARTICHOKES WITH CHAMPAGNE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare artichoke bottoms:
• Fill a 3-quart saucepan halfway with water and add vinegar, oil, and salt, then whisk in flour. (Do not heat.)
• Cut off top inch of leaves of 1 artichoke with a serrated knife, then cut stem flush with base and discard stem. Bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base, then discard several more layers of leaves in same manner until exposed leaves are pale green at top and pale yellow at base. Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and side of artichoke with a sharp paring knife, then cut remaining leaves flush with top of artichoke bottom. Drop artichoke bottom into water in pot, putting a sieve or small lid directly on top of artichoke to keep submerged, and prepare remaining artichokes in same manner. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, keeping artichokes submerged with sieve or lid, until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer artichokes with tongs (reserving water in saucepan) to a work surface, and, when cool enough to handle, remove pointed inner leaves and fuzzy chokes with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon. Return artichokes to cooking water to keep warm, covered.
• Cook spinach while artichokes simmer:
• Put 1 inch of water in a 3- to 4-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add spinach, 1 handful at a time, stirring with tongs, and cooking until all spinach is wilted. Drain spinach in a colander and press firmly with back of a large spoon to remove excess liquid.
• Cook shallot in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Keep warm, covered.
• Prepare oysters and sauce:
• Pour oyster liquor into a nonreactive 8-inch heavy skillet and add Champagne, shallot, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil, skimming foam, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes. (Reduce heat if necessary to keep from boiling over.) Pour liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing on and then discarding shallot. Return liquid to skillet, then add cream and oysters and cook over moderate heat, turning oysters over if not completely covered, until edges curl, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Assemble dish and finish sauce:
• Transfer artichoke bottoms with tongs to paper towels to drain, arranging them upside down. Transfer to plates, turning them right side up, then top with spinach. Arrange oysters on top of spinach, lifting them out of sauce with a slotted spoon.
• Boil sauce until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, then chives, and swirl skillet until butter is incorporated. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over oysters.

POACHED OYSTERS IN ANISE-FLAVORED CREAM WITH BLACK PEPPER CREME FRAICHE AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Combine the creme fraiche, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper in a small bowl, and mix well. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer and place over a bowl. Let the mixture drain, refrigerated, for up to 2 hours. Cover until needed.
• Drain the oysters in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, and reserve their liquid to equal 1 1/2 cups.
• Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add cayenne pepper. Add the heavy cream, the 1 1/2 cups oyster liquor, and the liqueur, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until reduced by 50 percent in volume, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add half of the spinach to the cream and puree with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large clean saute pan, and keep warm.
• Heat the oil in a medium stockpot to 350 degrees F.
• Add the remaining spinach to the pot in batches and fry until crispy, about 45 seconds. With a slotted spoon remove the cooked spinach and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt to taste.
• Add the oysters to the sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the edges of the oysters start to curl, about 3 minutes, depending upon their size. Remove from the heat.
• To serve, arrange 6 oysters around the inner edge of a shallow, rimmed soup bowl like the spokes of a wheel, and spoon 1/2 cup of sauce around the oysters.
• Spoon a dollop of Black Pepper Creme Fraiche into the center of the bowl, top with a teaspoon of the Beluga caviar, and garnish with fried spinach. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.

POACHED OYSTERS WITH STILTON CREAM

Steps:

• Discard, or save for another purpose, any liquid from the oysters, if using pre-shucked ones.
• Bring the Champagne to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add the oysters, poaching for two-three minutes, just until the edges curl. Remove to a dish with a slotted spoon, setting aside.
• Add the shallots to the pan, and simmer to soften. Stir in the cream. Reduce by half, stirring often.
• Stir in the cheese, whips to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the oysters, to warm through.
• Stir in the parsley and serve up immediately in shallow, warm bowls, or in shells, that have been boiled.

OYSTERS IN CHAMPAGNE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, reduce 1 cup of champagne to approximately 1/4 cup of liquid. Add the cream and reduce mixture to 1 cup of liquid. Add butter and stir until butter melts and thickens the mixture. Toss in shucked oysters and remove from heat. Place one oyster and some sauce in each saved shell. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

POACHED OYSTERS IN FENNEL-SAFFRON SOUP

Steps:

• melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. add fennel and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. add 1 cup water; cover and cook until fennel is very tender, about 20 minutes. puree fennel mixture in processor and set aside.
• heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. add garlic and saffron; saute 1 minute. add clam juice, cream and pernod and bring to simmer. add fennel puree and bring to simmer (can be made 1 day ahead. refrigerate uncovered until cold. cover and keep refrigerated. simmer before continuing.) add oysters with their liquor to cream mixture and stir to heat through. ladle soup into bowls.

POACHED OYSTERS AND ARTICHOKES WITH CHAMPAGNE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare artichoke bottoms:.
• Fill a 3-quart saucepan halfway with water and add vinegar, oil, and salt, then whisk in flour. (Do not heat.)
• Cut off top inch of leaves of 1 artichoke with a serrated knife, then cut stem flush with base and discard stem. Bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base, then discard several more layers of leaves in same manner until exposed leaves are pale green at top and pale yellow at base. Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and side of artichoke with a sharp paring knife, then cut remaining leaves flush with top of artichoke bottom.
• Drop artichoke bottom into water in pot, putting a sieve or small lid directly on top of artichoke to keep submerged, and prepare remaining artichokes in same manner.
• Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, keeping artichokes submerged with sieve or lid, until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer artichokes with tongs (reserving water in saucepan) to a work surface, and, when cool enough to handle, remove pointed inner leaves and fuzzy chokes with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon. Return artichokes to cooking water to keep warm, covered.
• Cook spinach while artichokes simmer:.
• Put 1 inch of water in a 3- to 4-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add spinach, 1 handful at a time, stirring with tongs, and cooking until all spinach is wilted. Drain spinach in a colander and press firmly with back of a large spoon to remove excess liquid.
• Cook shallot in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Keep warm, covered.
• Prepare oysters and sauce:.
• Pour oyster liquor into a nonreactive 8-inch heavy skillet and add Champagne, shallot, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil, skimming foam, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes. (Reduce heat if necessary to keep from boiling over.)
• Pour liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing on and then discarding shallot.
• Return liquid to skillet, then add cream and oysters and cook over moderate heat, turning oysters over if not completely covered, until edges curl, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Assemble dish and finish sauce:.
• Transfer artichoke bottoms with tongs to paper towels to drain, arranging them upside down. Transfer to plates, turning them right side up, then top with spinach. Arrange oysters on top of spinach, lifting them out of sauce with a slotted spoon.
• Boil sauce until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, then chives, and swirl skillet until butter is incorporated.
• Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over oysters.