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Herbsaint-Infused Oyster Stew with Smoked Bacon

Source of Recipe

From "Real Cajun" by Donald Link


Recipe Introduction

"The first Friday that our restaurant Herbsaint was open after Hurricane Katrina was quite a challenge. Of the forty people whom we normally employ on a weekend night, only seven could make it to the restaurant. My friend John Harris, the chef at Lillette restaurant, called and offered to help in any way he could. He and two of his waiters came to work with us that night, and John acted as a waiter, dishwasher, and bartender. We never expected to be so slammed just five weeks after the worst natural disaster in American history, but we were, and we were running out of food fast. I asked John if he could create a new dish from our comparatively lean pantry. He made this delicious stew in 30 minutes; and we sold twenty-five orders in the second half of the night. This recipe is unique because half the oysters are puréed and used to deepen the oyster flavor in the creamy broth; the other half are added at the end and lightly poached, as a garnish. (If you used all the oysters to flavor the cream, you'd end up with too many overcooked oysters.) You can purée the oysters in a food processor or with a handheld immersion blender; I usually do this in one of my big plastic Mardi Gras beer cups. Also, I use smoked bacon in this dish because I think bacon makes everything taste better; however, it can be left out with great results. If you want a more refined, smooth soup, strain the vegetables from the broth before you add the final oysters. A drizzle of Herbsaint, or another anise-flavored liqueur, pulls the other flavors into focus. Crusty white bread or old-fashioned oyster crackers are the perfect partner for this delicious stew, which will always remind me that good friends soften hard times."

List of Ingredients

◦  1 pint shucked oysters (about 24 oysters), drained and liquor reserved
◦  3 ounces thick-sliced smoked bacon, cut into ¼-inch cubes
◦  4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
◦  1 small onion, chopped (¼-inch dice)
◦  1 bunch scallions
◦  2 celery stalks, chopped (¼-inch dice)
◦  1 cup chopped (¼-inch dice) fennel bulb (about 1 small bulb)
◦  2 cloves garlic, finely minced
◦  5 bay leaves, preferably fresh
◦  ½ teaspoon salt
◦  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
◦  1 teaspoon ground black pepper
◦  1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
◦  ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
◦  1 small russet potato, peeled and diced
◦  2 cups heavy cream
◦  2 tablespoons Herbsaint or other anise-flavored liqueur



Recipe

Pick through the oysters to ensure they are clean of grit or shell. Place half the oysters in a food processor and purée until smooth (or place in a plastic cup or bowl and use an immersion blender, as described above). Transfer the purée to a bowl and refrigerate along with remaining whole oysters until needed.

Heat the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over low heat until its fat is rendered and the bacon is just starting to sizzle, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the onion, scallions, celery, fennel, garlic, bay leaves, salt, cayenne, black pepper, and thyme. Cook slowly, stirring frequently, until they are tender — about 10 minutes. You want to "sweat" the vegetables, so they soften and release their juices, without browning them.

Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the pot. As soon as the butter melts, add the flour and stir until ingredients are evenly coated. Add 2 cups reserved oyster liquor (see Note), the potato, and puréed oysters and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of cream and simmer for 5 more minutes. To finish the stew, add the last cup of cream, remaining tablespoon of butter, Herbsaint, and reserved whole oysters. Cook for 5 more minutes and serve.


Serves 6 to 8 as a main course;
8 to 12 as an appetizer.



Note:
∙ If you do not have enough oyster liquor from the pint of oysters, add fish stock, chicken broth, or water, as needed. Alternatively, some seafood markets sell oyster liquor, which is another great option.