Oyster Soup
Ingredients:
3 dozen oysters
2 oz. caviar (if on budget, look for American Paddlefish)
1/2 C cornmeal
1/2 C buttermilk
1 egg
2 C Italian parsley sprigs
1/2 C canola oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4 C parsley leaves
2 C fish stock, or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
For Parsley Oil:
The day before, bring 1 quart of water to a boil and heavily salt. Add the parsley sprigs to the water and boil for 20 seconds. Remove from boiling water and place in ice water bath to cool. Once cooled, remove and dry as much as possible. Chop the sprigs.
In a blender, add the chopped parsley sprigs and cover with the canola oil. Blend until smooth. Place in refrigerator overnight.
To finish, strain parsley puree mixture through a cheesecloth but do not press on it so the oil does not get cloudy.
For the Egg Yolk:
Hard boil the egg. Peel, leaving the egg yolk in one solid piece. Refrigerate.
For the Soup:
Shuck oysters and set six aside in a bowl. Add buttermilk.
For the soup, in a large pot, add some oil and heat over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sweat until translucent.
Add the chopped parsley leaves and fish stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. While stock is simmering, place remaining oysters (that aren't in buttermilk) in food processor and puree until smooth. Add mixture to stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add cream and allow to cook for five minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a small sauté pan with 1/4 inch of oil. Strain the oysters that have been marinating in the buttermilk and roll in the cornmeal. Quickly fry until light golden brown and place on a paper towel to drain.
To serve, pour about 6 ounces of the soup in a warm bowl. Place a large spoonful of the caviar in the center and place three of the fried oysters around the caviar. Grate the egg yolk over the whole thing and drizzle some of the parsley oil around the dish. Enjoy.
