With your trusty shrimp stock in hand, this Oyster Soup becomes a fresh, vibrant dish, where aromatics and vegetables sing. While lemon, horseradish, or a solid mignonette are commonly seen in an oyster’s entourage, fennel is its soulmate. Here, Chef Jean-Paul is not shy about showing how good of a bivalve buddy this often underrated ingredient can be. Save the fronds for a dash of color to go along with a squeeze of lemon at the end.
Oyster Soup
Author: Jean-Paul Bourgeois
Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 leeks (white part only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion, diced small
- 4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- ½ fennel bulb, small diced
- 3 bay leaves
- Salt, to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups seafood or shrimp stock
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with butcher’s twine
- 1 quart shucked oysters in oyster liquor
- Ground black pepper and hot sauce, to taste
- Garnish: thinly sliced green onion, lemon wedges, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, fennel fronds
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat butter over medium-high heat until frothy. Decrease heat to low, and add leek, yellow onion, celery, fennel, bay leaves and a big pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Increase heat to high, and garlic and incorporate into the vegetable mixture. Add wine and, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost dry. Add stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Season stock mixture to taste with salt and pepper. (Keep in mind that the oysters will add some more salt.) Add cream. Bring back to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not let boil.
- Add thyme and oysters with liquor to soup. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary; bring back to a simmer, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Divide soup among serving bowls, and garnish with green onion, cheese, lemon juice, and fennel fronds, if desired.
Notes
Tip from Chef Jean-Paul:
If you wanted to make this into a chowder, just add some potatoes and bacon.
If you wanted to make this into a chowder, just add some potatoes and bacon.
Watch this dish come together on our YouTube channel where a new episode of “Louisiana Cookin’ with Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois” is uploaded every Thursday!
I am definitely going to try the Oyster Soup recipe. A little different from my Aunt’s recipe but still looks like it’s a winner. Going to make it tomorrow and give it a ‘test run”