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Oyster and Artichoke Soup

Source of Recipe

From "My New Orleans" by John Besh


Recipe Introduction

"This is a luscious two-step soup. It's best to prepare the soup base ahead, as soon as you prep the artichokes, so that the leaves won't discolor. Keep the hearts green in a solution of lemon juice and water. Then, cook the oysters and artichoke hearts close to serving time so they do not overcook."

List of Ingredients

For the soup base:
â—¦ 3 whole artichokes
â—¦ 1 onion, chopped
â—¦ 2 celery stalks, chopped
â—¦ 1 potato, peeled and chopped
â—¦ 1 leek, white part, cleaned and chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 2 tablespoons olive oil
â—¦ 1 cup dry vermouth
â—¦ 3 cups oyster liquor or fish stock
â—¦ 1 cup heavy cream
â—¦ Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
â—¦ Leaves from 1 sprig fresh tarragon
â—¦ 1 bay leaf
â—¦ 1 teaspoon Tabasco
â—¦ 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
â—¦ Salt
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper

For the oysters:
â—¦ 1 tablespoon olive oil
â—¦ 2 shallots, minced
â—¦ 1 small fennel bulb, minced
â—¦ 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
â—¦ 32 oysters, shucked
â—¦ 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives


Recipe

For the soup base, remove and discard the tough outer leaves of the artichokes, leaving only the pale green tender leaves. (If you like, you can scrape some of the meat from the bottom of the outer leaves before discarding.) Slice off and discard about 1 inch from the leaves' thorny tips, then pull the pale green leaves away from the artichoke heart. Use a spoon to scrape out and discard the fuzzy chokes. Cut the stems from the hearts and peel the stems. Chop the pale green leaves and peeled stems. Dice the hearts and reserve separately in a bowl of lemon juice and water.

Cook the artichoke leaves and stems, onions, celery, potatoes, leeks, and garlic in the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over moderate heat until the onions become translucent, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to brown the vegetables.

Add the vermouth, oyster liquor or fish stock, and cream to the vegetables. Increase the heat to high until the liquid comes to a boil, then lower the heat to moderate. Add the thyme, tarragon, and bay leaf and allow the liquid to reduce by a third. Season with Tabasco, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Remove and discard the bay leaf, then purée the soup in a food processor or blender. Strain through a fine sieve back into the large heavy-bottomed pot. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

For the oysters, just before you're ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add the shallots, fennel, reserved diced artichoke hearts, and tomatoes, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the oysters, then remove from heat. Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls, then divide the oysters and vegetables between the bowls and sprinkle minced chives over the top.

Serves 8