Oyster Stew

By norsegal8

The only trick to cooking oysters is not to overcook them. My advice is to make the soup first and keep it warm. Don't add the oysters until just before you're ready to serve the stew.

Ingredients

• FOR THE BRUSCHETTA:
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• leaves from half a bunch of Italian parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 loaf French bread sliced
• FOR THE SOUP:
• 1 leek, white part, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large tomato, diced
• leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
• 3 cups basic oyster pan sauce
• 36 oysters, shucked
• Tabasco
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• salt
• black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. For the bruschetta, puree the olive oil, parsley, garlic and salt in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the puree to a small bowl and set it aside. Just before you are ready to serve, preheat the broiler. Spread a generous amount of the parsley puree on each slice of bread. Grill the bread under the broiler just long enough to char it slightly.

2. For the soup, cook the leeks, shallots and garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat until the vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, chives and oyster pan sauce to the saucepan, increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the oysters and cook just until they become firm and their edges begin to curl. Season and serve with Tabasco, lemon juice, salt and pepper, stirring to combine the flavors.

3. Serve the stew garnished, if you like, with a few more chopped chives, along with the garlicky bruschetta.