Rosie Makes Oyster Soup..

You know how the Hawthornes love their oysters.

We're just starting on our first bushel,

so be ready for lots of oyster preparations coming your way.

A cold front is moving through,

the wind is gusting,
it's starting to rain,

and we're under a tornado alert.

It's the perfect time to make oyster stew.

I'm writing down the recipe

as I make it up.

Rosie's mind can be a scary place at times.

Be forewarned.

I wrote down lettuce when I meant celery.

In my defense, I do know the difference,

but both words have a "c" in them,

so you can easily see how I could make that mistake.

Let me straighten this up a bit for you.

Oyster Soup

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 potato, diced

1 shallot, minced
 1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms

1 TB unsalted butter

1 TB oil

1 TB unsalted butter

2 TB flour

1 cup seafood stock

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup skim

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cups freshly shucked oysters with likker

1 TB sherry

Pour boiling water over the shiitake mushrooms,

cover, and let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Heat the butter and oil over medium heat.

When the butter is foamy,

reduce heat a bit and add in 

prepared carrot, celery, potato, and shallot.

Sauté about 5 minutes,

then add in a TB of butter and 2 TB flour.

Cook the flour about a minute or two.

Add in the stock, slowly,

stirring to scrape up the goody bits from the bottom of the pan.

Keep stirring until thickened.

Add in cream and milk.

Heat through.

Taste test and season with salt and pepper.

Drain and chop the mushrooms and add to the pot.

I happened to have a cup of steamed oysters

and 1/2 cup freshly shucked oysters and likker.
I threw in the fresh oysters in first for a minute or so,
then I threw in the steamed oysters.
Taste test.
It needed the soupçon of sherry.
Serve with oyster crackers.

Velvety smooth, oystery goodness.
Oyster in every spoonful
and, if you're lucky,
you'll get the occasional little crab.
These are called crab slough oysters.
They contain tiny crabs which are not babies,
but fully-grown adult "oyster crabs."
These soft shell crabs use the oysters' shells for protection
and they feed by stealing the oysters' food.

Now, for the step-by-steps.

Potato, celery, carrot, shallot.

Dice and mince.

I had dried shiitake mushrooms

and dried black button mushrooms.

I poured boiling water over the mushrooms,

covered, and let it sit while I started on the soup.

I sautéed the potato, carrot, celery, and shallot

in butter and oil.

Add in the flour and cook stirring.

Slowly stir in seafood stock,

scraping up bottom bits,

until thickened.

Milk and cream in.

Keep just under a simmer

until potatoes are fork tender.

Squeeze moisture out of re-hydrated mushrooms and finely chop.

Add to soup.

I had some steamed oysters

from yesterday's afternoon snack.

But you could use all freshly shucked.

Look at all the little crabbies!

Mr. Hawthorne shucked a few extras.

Always save the erster likker.

Look at this little crab.

He's waving at me!

Ersters in.  Heat through.

Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Then swirl in that sherry.

I'm fond of what I call, "pockets of flavor."

I like a little extra ground pepper on mine.

You know what?
You could put some shredded iceberg lettuce on this
and it would really kick it up a notch.

I told you.
Rosie's mind is a scary place.

Toss in some oyster crackers.

Perfect for this weather.

We didn't eat all of this the first day.
Mr. H. just had this the second day.
"I don't know how, but this is even better the next day."

Rosie Is Published.

Please check out my

 February column

for the Outer Banks Voice.

Oyster Soup

Oysters in every spoonful.

If you're lucky,

you'll get a little crabby, like this one.

If you're even luckier,

you'll get a pearl.

Pho Bo

My favorite.

Ohhh...  Those flavors.

This is one amazing soup.

Mr. Hawthorne Makes Oyster Soup.

Rosie is excited.

She got snow for her birthday!

When it's cold and gray and snowing outside,

nothing fits the bill better than soup.

Today, Sunday, was a lazy day.

We had me a birthday party Saturday night;

the Hawthornelets and their respective critters

have been home this weekend;

I've been cooking and cleaning all week.

So I'm not doing anything today.

Rosie is relaxing.

Mr. Hawthorne is preparing soup today.

Oyster soup.

Perfect for a cold, lazy day

when my only thought is carpe diem.

And I carped the diem real good.

I just sat back

and watched Mr. Hawthorne create.

 

  Mr. Hawthorne shucked about a quart of oysters.
About 4 dozen.

Save the likker.

Leek, celery, and mushrooms.

 

 Slice and chop.

 That much of each.

 Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in pot.

Add in leeks and celery.

 

 Stir fry about a minute.

 Add in mushrooms.

 Cook another minute or two.

 Add in about 2 cups skim milk.

Strain the oysters,

reserving the likker.

Pour in about 1/4 cup oyster likker to 1/4 cup cornstarch.

This will be used later to thicken the soup.

 Add in strained oyster likker to the pot.

But not all.

Pour it in slowly,

but when you get to the last few tablespoons,

stop and throw it out.

You want to avoid any pieces of oyster shell

which might have settled to the bottom.

Mr. H. poured in about 2 cups of skim milk.

Heat through.

 Add in oysters.

 2-3 grinds of salt.

7-8 grinds of pepper.

 We've been using Chef Paul Prudhomme's

Seafood Magic seasoning lately.

Add in a heaping teaspoon.

If you don't have Seafood Magic,

substitute Old Bay seasoning.

If you don't have Old Bay,

then sub cumin, oregano, 

cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 

 

 Add in a heapin' cup o' half and half.

 And a heapin' cup o' heavy cream.

 Add in the cornstarch slurry.

Cook over medium-low until thickened.

 Serve with a few leaves of flat-leaf parsley and thyme.

I want to thank Glowria for my new spoons!

 

 There's an oyster or two in every spoonful.

 

 If you're lucky,

you'll get little crabbies.

Or a pearl.

Cauliflower Soup Turns Into Moreover Oyster Soup.

We've been enjoying the pureed Creamy Cauliflower Soup I made the other day, courtesy of Justin and Johanna Lachine of Cafe Lachine, who conducted our cooking class at the Roanoke Island Aquarium last week. But now we want to put a bit of a twist on the soup. Remember, Rosie doesn't do leftovers; Rosie does moreovers.

In this case, we're taking the Cauliflower Soup, and adding a few vegetables and a mollusc and turning it an Oyster Soup.

And if you're lucky, you might be adding some extra protein.

Chop a carrot and a stalk of celery. No need to peel the carrot.

Add a small tiny-diced potato. Mr. Hawthorne peeled this since the skin was somewhat iffy.

Saute diced potato, carrot, and celery, until potato is tender.

Here's a Rosie tip to easily open oysters: Nuke 'em. A dozen or so take about 4-5 minutes in our microwave. Some will pop open; the rest will be easy to open. Microwave times will vary due to different strengths.

Pretty little plump oyster.

Slide oysters and the juice into Cauliflower Soup.

Add in the crabbies!

Add in the veggies and heat through. And Cauliflower Soup is now transformed into Oyster Soup. I like to add some scallions and parsley.

I use the shells for accenting pathways in my garden.