A New Orleans original: Oyster Artichoke Bisque, a rich creamy soup that pairs the wonderful flavor of fresh gulf oysters with the distinctive taste of artichoke.
Drain the oysters in a strainer and reserve the liquid. Set the oysters aside while they drain. Chop the artichoke bottoms, yellow onions, green pepper, celery and garlic and place in one bowl. Chop the artichoke hearts and green onions and place each in their own separate bowl. Measure all other ingredients except the stock.
In a heavy bottom Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat until foaming. Sauté the artichoke bottoms, onions, green peppers, celery and garlic until clear and starting to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the vegetable mixture with a slotted spoon to a small food processor. Puree the vegetable mixture and set aside.
In the Dutch oven, melt ½ cup butter until foaming, add the flour and stir to make a light roux, about 4 or 5 minutes to get the flour taste out. Mix the pureed vegetables completely into the roux, add about half of the creole seasoning and white pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add enough chicken stock to the oyster liquor to make 5 cups of liquid. (see Notes) Leave the oysters in the strainer and set aside, reserve all the liquid that continues to drain.
Add the oyster juice/stock to the roux/vegetable mix, starting with small amounts and stirring to completely blend everything together before adding more. Once about half of the liquid has been added in this way, add the remainder, stirring completely.
Bring the mixture to a heavy simmer. Add the chopped artichoke hearts and mix well. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered.
Add the heavy cream and stir together until completely blended, simmer another 5 minutes.
Add the oysters a few at a time, stirring well in between-make sure to add any oyster juice that has accumulated. Add the green onions and the remaining Creole seasoning and white pepper and mix well.
Simmer for about 5 minutes until the oysters are curling up on their edges and are cooked. Taste for seasoning and add kosher salt to taste. The oysters may be salty so remember to taste the bisque before you add salt.
Cover and remove the bisque from the heat and allow to sit for about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe makes approximately 8 (1 ½ cup) main-dish servings or about 12 appetizer-size (1 cup) servings. Nutritional values are based on the main-dish serving size.Fresh oysters will come packed in their own juice. To drain the oyster, place a strainer or small colander over a 4 or 8 cup glass measuring cup. Place the oysters in the strainer and set them in the refrigerator. When ready to use the juice, empty the measuring cup into another vessel and add enough stock to make 5 cups of liquid. Return the strainer with the oysters over the original measuring cup to the refrigerator; they will continue to drain and you should add that extra oyster liquid into the bisque when adding the oysters.Be careful adding salt. Many commercial creole seasonings, commercial stock, and oysters and oyster juice could be salty. Taste the bisque after the oysters have simmered for 5 minutes before adding any additional kosher salt.Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cool the bisque to room temperature, then chill in the fridge before placing the airtight container in the freezer.Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat leftover bisque on the stove slowly until warmed. Do not refreeze bisque once it has been defrosted. I suggest freezing in small batches. The texture of the oysters may not be optimal after freezing but the flavor will be there. There are 12 to 18 oysters in a pint, depending on size.