Oyster, Brie and Champagne Soup

This is a  little gem of a restaurant, hidden amongst the back streets of Amsterdam that I came across this week. It's a barbecue restaurant that has won international recognition for its excellent atmosphere. It is this atmosphere with (famous) guests enjoying a glass of good wine or a carefully prepared cocktail which gives you the feeling of being "out" but "at home" too. The scent of charcoal and spices will perhaps persuade you to select a fine steak, award winning oysters or an appetizing lobster tale from te menu. The wonderful but delicate flavour of their famous oysters, inspired me to create this soup

A favorite among exotic foods, oysters are large shellfish loaded with many health benefits. They have rough, fluted shells that are soft and fleshy in texture, influenced by the water they come from. Sweet and sometimes salty, oysters have a unique dusky flavor. Oysters can be consumed in variety of ways such as half shelled, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed and grilled. They are rich in various vitamins and minerals and hence, benefit the young and old.

On my childhood visits to Ireland, I lived off oysters, freshly caught by my Irish, fishing family. As I grew up I was introduced to the black stuff - Guinness- which accompanied the oysters a treat. Now it's that time of year when we all like a winter warmer - soup -  this recipe is an unusual blend and fusion of flavours that bring back all those magical, memories of the Emerald Isle

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
1/2 Cup flour
1 pint of  fish stock 
i tub of whipping cream
1 1/2 Teaspoon sweet paprika
1 1/2 lbs. Brie cheese (remove rind and cut into cubes)
2 Cups dry champagne
3 Dozen fresh oysters
1 bunch spring onions (finely chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Melt butter over low heat, add flour and cook 3 minutes constantly whisking. Add stock and cook and whisk until flour is absorbed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Bring to boil, return to simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream, simmer 5 minutes, again whisking constantly. Add paprika and cheese. Cook and stir until melted. Add Champagne, oysters, green onions. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, stir and serve.

Recipe of the day

The Seashore - Gouache

Stuffed Mussels 

(Mejillones Rellenos - Tigres)  

This tapa is not as popular today in the bars as it once was, but I like it so much that I make it whenever I find fresh mussels.

Ingredients
1 1/2 dozen mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
3 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced onion
2 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoon white wine
1/2 cup mussel liquid
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
4 tablespoon fine dry breadcrumbs
 Olive oil for frying


Method
Steam open the mussels. Put them in a deep pan with the water. Cover the pan and put over a high heat, shaking the pan, until the shells open. Remove from heat and discard any mussels that do not open.
Mussels can also be opened in a microwave. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, partially covered, and microwave at full power for one minute. Stir and microwave one minute more. Remove any mussels that have opened and microwave one minute more. Again remove open ones. Repeat twice more. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
When mussels are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the empty half shells. Loosen the mussel meat from the bottom shell and arrange the mussels in their shells on a tray in a single layer. Strain the mussel liquid and reserve it.
Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and sauté the minced onion until it is softened, without letting it brown. Stir in the flour, cook for a minute, stirring, then whisk in the wine and the mussel liquid. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Put a spoonful of this white sauce onto each mussel and smooth it level with the top of the shell.
Refrigerate until the sauce is firmly set, at least one hour. Place the beaten egg in one dish and the bread crumbs in another. Dip the mussels, open face down, first into egg, then bread crumbs. Arrange them on the tray in a single layer. (The mussels can be prepared up to this point, then frozen. Freeze them in one layer, then pack them carefully in a freezer bag or plastic container. Let them thaw at least one hour before continuing with the preparation.)
To fry the mussels, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan. Fry them in two or three batches, breaded side down, until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

Tigres - Stuffed Mussels