12307 Oyster Velouté with Black Caviar Serves 6 to 8 Wed Aug 06 01:03:12 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 06:05:38 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12307 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:05:38 GMT Caviar has been taken from the Gironde River since the Russian Revolution. According to one of the many legends, it was the owner of the famous Parisian fish restaurant Prunier who employed Russian refugees to extract and preserve caviar from the Gironde sturgeon. The eggs obtained were of excellent quality, comparable to the best Iranian caviar. Sadly, in the 1950s parts of the Gironde became quite polluted, and caviar production declined; but now, happily, it's the cleanest estuary in Europe, and production is back up to its heyday in special sturgeon hatcheries. The Gironde sturgeon roe is black to lustrous grey, is nicely saline, and possesses a wonderfully delicate flavor with a long, lingering, buttery finish on the tongue. You can purchase Caviar d'Aquitaine from D'Artagnan or any good quality caviar dealer.

Fat, juicy oysters of Japanese origin are now raised in the bay of Arcachon, where oysters have been cultivated since Roman times. The oldest were flat, common European oysters, which were wiped out in the 1920s. Portuguese oysters, similar to our bluepoints, are still raised in the bay, but they are being replaced by the more resistant Japanese variety. In this recipe, the oysters are pureed and added near the end, so as not to overcook them and lose their natural taste.

If you garnish this velouté with a fine caviar, it becomes an extremely elegant soup course. Lumpfish eggs can be used, but they must be drained first. Whatever type of caviar you choose, be sure to add it at the last minute to avoid possible discoloration.

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  • In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, preferably copper, soften the shallots in the butter without browning. Blend in the flour and cook over very low heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. The mixture—called the roux—must be very smooth and not darken beyond the color of yellow straw. If necessary, use a metal simmer mat to control the heat. This mixture must cook slowly so that the flour proteins will absorb liquid and thicken properly.
  • In a second saucepan, combine the fish and chicken stocks (see Note below) and heat to lukewarm. Gradually pour this liquid into the roux, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, skimming off scum that rises to the surface. Add half the salt.
  • Strain the oyster liquor to remove any traces of shell and sand. Puree the oysters in a food processor or electric blender. Add the pureed oysters and strained liquor to the soup. Simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Add the cayenne. Rub the soup through a fine strainer set over a large mixing bowl, pressing down hard with the back of a spoon to extract as much oyster pulp as possible. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to 2 hours in advance.)
  • About 10 minutes before serving, slowly reheat the soup. Combine the egg yolks and ¾ cup heavy cream in a small mixing bowl; whisk them together. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of the hot soup in order to raise the temperature of the egg yolk–cream mixture and prevent curdling. Stir the egg-yolk mixture into the soup and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens slightly; do not allow to boil. Immediately remove from the heat. Taste for seasonings and adjust. If necessary, add a bit more cream.
  • Sprinkle the lemon juice over the caviar. Ladle the soup into individual soup plates and top each with a teaspoon of the caviar. Serve at once.
  • The mixture of equal amounts of fish and chicken stocks is important to this dish. It provides good body and background taste without overpowering the flavor of the oysters.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 2 shallots, finely chopped

    ]]>     3 tablespoons unsalted butter

    ]]>     3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

    ]]>     3 cups unsalted fish stock (storebought or homemade—pages 411–412)

    ]]>     3 cups unsalted chicken stock (storebought or homemade—page 405)

    ]]>     ¾ teaspoon sea salt

    ]]>     12 to 15 oysters, shucked, plus their liquor (or, if you buy them shucked, about 1⅓ cups, including liquor)

    ]]>     Pinch of cayenne

    ]]>     3 large egg yolks

    ]]>     ¾ to 1 cup heavy cream

    ]]>     1 to 2 drops fresh lemon juice

    ]]>     2 tablespoons black caviar, preferably

    ]]>     Caviar d'Aquitaine

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