Shrimp Bienville Food

OYSTERS BIENVILLE

Steps:

• Sauté the chopped shallots in the butter and slowly stir over a very low heat until the onions are well cooked, but not brown. Sprinkle the shallots with the flour and cook until the flour begins to brown. Add the chicken broth and the mushrooms and mix well. Beat the egg yolk into the wine and add to the chicken broth mixture, beating all the while. Season with the salt and cayenne, and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes.
• Heat a pan of ice cream salt in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. Place the oysters on the half shell in the hot ice cream salt and return to the oven for about 5 minutes. Spoon the sauce over each oyster and sprinkle with a mixture of the bread crumbs and cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the bread crumb mixture is lightly browned. Two dozen oysters served this way will serve four.

OYSTERS BIENVILLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spread a 1/2-inch thick layer of rock salt on a large baking sheet and across the bottoms of 2 large plates. Set aside.
• Fry the bacon until just crisp in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and butter, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the butter melts. Add the flour, and stirring slowly and constantly, cook for 2 minutes. Add the milk and wine and stir to blend.
• Reduce the heat to medium, then add the mushrooms and shrimp. Stir and fold to mix and cook until the mixture is thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Parmesan, lemon juice, green onions and parsley and stir to blend.
• Remove from the heat, add the egg yolk, and blend well. Let cool to room temperature.
• Arrange the reserved oyster shells on the prepared baking sheet. Put 1 oyster in each shell and top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce, spreading the sauce evenly out to the edges of the shell to completely cover the oyster. (Alternatively, pipe the sauce over the oysters.) Bake until the sauce is lightly browned and the oysters begin to curl around the edges, about 20 minutes.
• Using tongs or a spatula, carefully transfer the hot shells to the salt-covered plates and serve immediately.

EMERIL'S OYSTERS BIENVILLE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes.
• Add the onions, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic and butter, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the butter melts.
• Add the flour and, stirring slowly and constantly, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the milk and wine and stir to blend.
• Reduce the heat to medium, then add the mushrooms and shrimp.
• Stir and fold to mix and cook until the mixture is very thick, about 12 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and stir to mix well.
• Remove from the heat, add the beaten egg yolks, and blend well.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Arrange the reserved oyster shells on a bed of rock salt in 4 pie pans or on a large baking sheet.
• Put an oyster in each shell and top it with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the sauce.
• Or, the oysters can be put in a shallow pan (without the shells and rock salt) and topped with the sauce to bake.
• Bake until the sauce is delicately browned and the oysters begin to curl at the edges, about 20 minutes.
• Serve hot.