Special Recipes
By Carole Kotkin

Champagne Oyster Stew with Brie cheese
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Jeff Shively
Sea Catch Restaurant

1 quart oysters (about 32)
2 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 leek (white part only) cleaned and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup Champagne
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces Brie cheese, diced
Salt to taste
1 bunch scallions, chopped

Place shucked oysters with their liquor and water in a medium bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. In the meantime, place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and oil. When butter is melted, add vegetables, herbs and seasonings. Sauté until onions are translucent. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir with a wood spoon to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute. Strain oysters from the liquid and reserve. Add the oyster liquid to the vegetables and stir until smooth. Add Champagne and simmer 20 minutes. Add cream and cook for another 5 minutes. Add Brie and turn off heat. Stir until cheese is completely dissolved. Strain soup through a medium sieve. Return soup to a simmer then add oysters, stirring to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with salt. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped scallions.
Serves 8 (4 oysters per serving)

 




Article first published in The Wine News

 

Food Editor Carole Kotkin is a Miami-based cooking instructor and consultant who co-authored Mmmmiami - Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere. It provides clear, simple directions for 150 dishes, from the simple (good old Key Lime Pie) to the sublime (Coconut Mahi-Mahi with Passion Fruit Sauce). The wide array of flavors is especially wonderful and startling to those used to monocultural cooking; Miami cuisine is the product of many generations of interbreeding and hybrid vigor. Click on the link below for more details or to order.

Mmmmiami : Tempting Tropical Tastes for Cooks Everywhere

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All articles courtesy of The Wine News