Oyster Bisque With Mushrooms And Wild Rice Recipes

Steps:

• Buy the oysters. When buying oysters, look for a tag with the harvest date and use them within a week of that date. Also, make sure the oysters are fresh and alive; the shells should be tightly closed or should close when tapped.
• Chill and clean. Put the oysters in a colander of ice when you get home, then place the colander in a bowl and refrigerate. When you're ready to cook, scrub the oysters with a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any grit (a clean nail brush works well).
• Shuck the oysters. Hold the oyster, curved-side down, in a towel on a cutting board. Insert an oyster knife between the shells at the narrow pointed end. (Use a real oyster knife-there is no substitute!) Press down firmly on the oyster to prevent slipping and twist the knife to pry the shells apart. Use the knife for leverage; do not use force. Cut the muscle that connects the oyster to the top shell with the knife, being careful not to pierce the meat. Remove the top shell. Slide your knife under the oyster to loosen it, keeping the meat and liquid in the shell. Use your knife to carefully scrape away any shards of shell.
• Make the aioli. Blend the garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running and process until thick. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the aioli to a bowl, then cover and refrigerate.
• Prepare the ragout. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, cook 3 minutes, then add the butter and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Assemble the oysters. Preheat the broiler. Place the oysters, in their shells, in individual flameproof baking dishes or one large flameproof dish. (Put a crumpled sheet of foil underneath them to keep them steady, if necessary.) Top each with a spoonful of mushroom ragout.
• Finish the dish. Top each oyster with a dollop of aeoli. Broil until the aeoli is golden, about 2 minutes, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and toast while stirring until it begins to smell nutty, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook on low until the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
• While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter along with the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring often until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more.
• When the rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and gently fold in the mushrooms. Add to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley before serving.

Steps:

• Rinse oysters thoroughly in cold water to remove the sand and drain, reserving as much oyster liquor as possible. Also strain out sandy particles or pieces of shell that might be present in the liquor.
• Place dehydrated mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with boiling water and let stand for 30 minutes. (Since the dehydrated mushrooms can be a bit spendy, I just purchase a small package of mixed wild mushrooms that include porcinis). To remove any sand that might be present, strain liquid through a cheese cloth and reserve the liquid. Chop the rehydrated mushrooms finely.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, rehydrated mushrooms, thyme, and nutmeg until vegetables are soft and translucent. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until well incorporated and allow flour to brown slightly. (I probably use at least 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Chef Sarah calls for a "pinch.").
• Gradually add in the reserved mushroom liquid, fish stock, oyster juices, and sherry. (If you do not have fish stock, use bottled clam juice. But it is easy to make using fish heads, fish bone trimmings, onion, and celery. Although salmon heads can be used for some types of stock, I prefer to use heads from white fish, like cod or snapper.) Simmer soup base uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the soup is simmering, slice the button mushrooms and chop remaining fresh mushrooms. Then saute in 2 tablespoons of butter. Although Chef Sarah only uses button mushroom and oyster mushrooms, I prefer to add other types of fresh mushrooms. I have noted from other recipes that oyster mushrooms are usually a substitute for Hen of the Woods mushrooms, but the latter have such an intensely earthy flavor and an interesting texture.
• Also while soup is simmering prepare wild rice according to package directions.
• Once base has simmered long enough to get all the flavors married, add the light cream. Then puree with an immersion blender. (Chef Sarah also purees the oyster mushrooms in with the base, but I would rather leave them chopped with the other fresh mushrooms).
• Add in sauteed fresh mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups of prepared wild rice, and oysters. Heat thoroughly to blend the flavors and cook until the edges of the oysters curl slightly. Adjust flavors with salt, pepper, and additional sherry. Serve at once, garnished with chopped parsley or thyme leaves and a splash of sherry in each bowl.
• Note: To prepare according to cookbook recipe, use only oyster mushrooms and button mushrooms. Finely chop the oyster mushrooms, so they can be pureed in with the base. Then combine sliced button mushrooms, oysters, and wild rice and complete as above. Also recipe from cookbook uses cream sherry and heavy cream instead of light cream.

Steps:

• Prepare rice according to package directions; set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients; mix well.
• Pour sherry into a lightly greased 10x6 inch baking dish; top with half the rice.
• Pour 1/2 of the soup mixture over the rice.
• Arrange oysters and mushroom caps over soup mixture; sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Top with remaining rice and soup mixture.
• Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes.
• Garnish with parsley sprigs.