Puget Sound Oyster Bisque Recipes

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 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.

SPECIAL LOBSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper and celery salt until well blended. Gradually stir in the milk so that no lumps form, and then stir in the chicken stock. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the soup begins to thicken. Add the onion and lobster; season with paprika. Cook and stir for 10 more minutes. Stir in the cream, heat through and serve.

CRAB AND OYSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• In 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Cook garlic and shallots in butter, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add clam juice and wine; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
• Stir in Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, pepper and whipping cream. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes. Stir in oysters and crabmeat; cook just until edges of oysters curl. Serve with oyster crackers; sprinkle with parsley.

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.

PUGET SOUND OYSTER BISQUE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, whisk together flour, 1/4 cup water, salt, and Worcestershire. Add oysters and their liquid. Depending on the size of the oysters, you may want to cut them into bite-size pieces. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The centers will be firm and the edge of oysters will curl a bit when cooked. Add half-and-half and margarine and heat to boiling. Let the bisque stand at least 15 minutes to blend flavors. Garnish with snipped parsley, if so desired.