Oyster and Artichoke Casserole in Pastry Cups
 
Makes 18
Ingredients
  • 3 whole fresh artichokes (see Note)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped green onions
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • 3 (8-ounce) containers shucked oysters, drained, liquor reserved (see Note)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • Pinch each of ground thyme, ground oregano, and marjoram
  • Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 3 (6-count) packages frozen puff pastry shells, prepared according to package directions*
  • Garnish: thinly sliced lemons sprinkled with paprika
Instructions
  1. Boil the artichokes in unsalted water until tender. Drain and cool. Scrape the tender pulp from the leaves. Clean the hearts and mash together with the pulp.
  2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the green onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until they are soft, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the oyster liquor, parsley, thyme, oregano, marjoram, salt, and cayenne pepper and stir to blend. Simmer over medium-low heat until lightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the oysters and cook until the edges curl, about 3 minutes. Add the artichokes and blend into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into prepared pastry shells or individual casserole cups. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Notes
*We used Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry Shells.
Notes: You can also use artichoke hearts canned in brine (about 1½ cans). Cut any large oysters in half, if desired.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/oyster-and-artichoke-casserole-in-pastry-cups/