Recipe

Oysters Bienville Recipe

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Ingredients

3 oz white American cheese, shredded .
2 c milk .
1/8 c unseasoned breadcrumbs .
1 1/2 c minced green bell peppers .
1/2 c minced scallions .
24 oysters, in the shell .
1 (7 oz) jar pimientos, drained & cut into 1/4-inch dice .
1 pinch nutmeg .
6 tbsps unsalted butter .
1/3 c dry white wine .
2 tbsps flour .
3 lbs rock salt or other coarse salt .
1/8 tsp cayenne .
1 large garlic clove, minced .
lemon wedges

Directions

Step #1 To make the sauce: in a small saucepan, warm the milk over med-heat/flame & bring almost to a boil, watching it carefully so that it doesn’t boil over.
Step #2 Remove pan from heat & reserve.
Step #3 Meanwhile, place another small pan over med-heat/flame; add in 2 tbsps butter.
Step #4 When the butter has melted & the foam begins to subside, stir the mixture to mix, sprinkle in the flour, & as soon as possible turn the heat down to med-low.
Step #5 Continue stirring while the mixture bubbles for two mins.
Step #6 Gradually whisk in the reserved warm milk, raise the heat to med-high, & bring to a boil, whisking continuously.
Step #7 Reduce to a bare simmer & add a pinch of nutmeg & a generous pinch of salt & cook, stirring regularly, for 15 mins.
Step #8 The sauce should be very thick but still pourable.
Step #9 Whisk in a small quantity of milk if you think it needs thinning.
Step #10 Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl & set the sauce aside.
Step #11 Place plastic wrap directly on sauce to keep a skin from forming.
Step #12 Melt the remaining 4 tbsps butter In a large-ish saute pan over med-heat/flame.
Step #13 Add in green peppers, scallions, & garlic; cook carefully for 5 mins (do not let the vegetables brown).
Step #14 Add in the wine; increase the heat to med-high; let it reduce by half.
Step #15 Add in pimentos, & the reserved cream sauce, breadcrumbs, cheese, cayenne, a pinch of salt, a few grindings of black pepper, stirring to incorporate the mixture.
Step #16 Decrease the heat to medium-low & let the sauce carefully simmer for 10 mins, stirring every once in awhile.
Step #17 When finished, it should be almost, but not quite, the consistency of mayonnaise.
Step #18 Taste the sauce for salt & adjust.
Step #19 Transfer sauce to a small bowl; set aside.
Step #20 Divide half the rock salt between 4 dinner plates, each large enough to hold 6 oysters; distribute the salt evenly on each plate; set plates aside.
Step #21 Divided the remaining salt between two roasting pans, each large enough to hold a dozen oysters in one layer; distribute the salt as you did for the plates.
Step #22 Open the top, flat side of each oyster; retain in each shell as much of the oyster liquor as possible.
Step #23 Discard the top shell & free each oyster from its muscle.
Step #24 Transfer each oyster in its bottom shell to the salt-lined roasting pans.
Step #25 Arrange the oven racks to accommodate both pans & preheat your trusty oven to 400°.
Step #26 Place 2 tsps of the sauce on top of each oyster, if they are medium-size (a little more if they are larger, a little less if they are smaller).
Step #27 The mixture should almost, but not quite, cover the meat of the oyster.
Step #28 Place the pans with the oysters in the oven & cook about 20 mins, until there is a lively bubbling at the edges of the oysters.
Step #29 When the oysters are done, then, let them cool for 2 mins, wearing rubber gloves or with the help of a large spoon, carefully transfer 6 oysters to each of the salt-lined dinner plates.
Step #30 Garnish each plate with a lemon wedge & serve as soon as possible.
Step #31 **Alternative cooking method: preheat broiler; place one pan under the broiler for 3-5 mins or until the oysters are bubbling on top; repeat with second pan; proceed as directed.
Enjoy the Oysters Bienville recipe