Poached Oysters In Anise Flavored Cream With Black Pepper Creme Fraiche And Caviar Recipes

POACHED OYSTERS IN PERNOD CREAM

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together creme fraiche, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Refrigerate, and let drain for 2 hours. Transfer solids to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups reserved oyster liquor, and the Pernod; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and remaining teaspoon pepper; reduce heat to medium. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes; remove from heat. Add half of the spinach to saucepan and puree mixture using an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large skillet; keep warm.
• Heat oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, fry remaining spinach until crispy, about 45 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked spinach and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate; season with salt.
• Add oysters to cream sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the edges start to curl, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• To serve, arrange six oysters in each of six shallow bowls. Spoon 1/2 cup cream sauce into each bowl; spoon a dollop of creme fraiche in the center, top with caviar, and garnish with fried spinach. Serve immediately.

ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES WITH CREME FRAICHE AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/2 cup of olive oil, rosemary, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Coat a small roasting pan with the remaining olive oil and put the potatoes in the pan, cut-side down. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes are tender on the inside and golden on the outside.
• Let the potatoes cool slightly and then arrange on a serving platter. Serve the potatoes with the creme fraiche, caviar, and chives for self-service hors d'oeurves. This goes great with champagne. If you wish, spread each potato with a 1/4 teaspoon of creme fraiche and 1/2 teaspoon caviar instead of dipping.

POACHED OYSTERS IN CHAMPAGNE WITH A JULIENNE OF VEGETABLES, LEAF SPINACH AND PROSCIUTTO HAM

Steps:

• Shuck the oysters. Reserve the oyster juice. Wash the shells. Cut the vegetables into strips and steam. Set aside Blanch the spinach and set aside Peel and cut the shallots into small dice, then add the white wine and reduce until only 1 tablespoon remains. Add the cream reduce for 30 seconds, then whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a sauteuse. Pour in the cream, oyster juice, champagne and garlic. Add the oyster, prosciutto and poach for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the shallot-butter sauce off the heat. Spoon into the oyster shells; top with the spinach, then top with the oysters and place a small pile of the steamed vegetables on each oyster. Serve on a bed of blanched seaweed or on a bed of mixed peppercorns.

NEW POTATOES WITH CREME FRAICHE AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Wash potatoes and place on 2 lightly oiled cookie sheets. Bake for about 30 minutes.
• Cool potatoes before handling.
• Trim either end of each potato and then cut in half, leaving trimmed edges on the end to allow potatoes to sit upright. Using a small melon baller, scoop out inside of each potato half, leaving at least 1/8-inch edge.
• Fill pastry bag, fitted with a star tip, with creme fraiche. Fill each scooped-out potato half with piped creme fraiche.
• Garnish top of each potato with red or black lumpfish roe.

FRIED OYSTERS WITH HORSERADISH CREAM AND TOMATO CORN SALSA

Steps:

• Combine the corn, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Mix well. Season the salsa with salt and pepper. Set the salsa aside. In a saucepan, combine the horseradish, shallots, garlic, mustard, white pepper and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, whisking gently. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, for about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
• In a small bowl, season the flour with Essence. In another bowl, season the masa with Essence. In a third bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Season the oysters with Essence. Dredge the oysters in the seasoned flour. Dip the oysters in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the oysters in the seasoned masa, coating each side completely. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, carefully lay the oysters in the hot oil. Pan-fry the oysters for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the oysters form the pan and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the oysters with Essence. Serve the oysters with the horseradish cream and salsa.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

VICHYSSOISE OF KUMUMOTO OYSTERS AND ROYAL STERLING CAVIAR

Steps:

• Pry open the oysters and separate the juice from the meat, reserving both in the fridge. Clean the bottom shells very well and reserve them for later.;
• To make the vichyssoise base: Heat the butter and leeks in a small saucepan over low heat and cook until the leeks are softened but not browned. Add the potatoes and water and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Chill and season with salt. Pour into a blender and puree with the cream and blanched spinach to get a light mint green color. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
• To make the mousse: Whisk the creme fraiche to soft peaks in a mixer. Heat 1/2 cup of the vichyssoise base in a medium saucepan. Add the bloomed gelatin to the base. Fold in the whipped creme fraiche and 1/2 cup more of vichyssoise base.
• To make the oyster glaze: Bring 3 tablespoons of the reserved oyster juices to a boil in a small saucepan. Strain through a coffee filter. Add the bloomed gelatin to the liquid. Let cool but not enough to set.
• To finish: Fill the 8 reserved oyster shells about 3/4 full with the vichyssoise mousse and set an oyster on top. Keep cool and brush with the still-liquid oyster glaze. Repeat the brushing until the whole oyster has a shine to it. Garnish with a quenelle of caviar, chive blossom, and dill.

OYSTERS AND PEARLS

Steps:

• For the tapioca:
• Soak the tapioca in 1 cup of the milk for 1 hour. (Setting it in a warm place will speed up the rehydration of the pearls.)
• For the oysters:
• Shuck the oysters. Trim away the muscle and the outer ruffled edge of each oyster and place the trimmings in a saucepan. Reserve the whole trimmed oysters and strain the oyster juice into a separate bowl. You should have about 1/2 cup of juice.
• To cook the tapioca:
• In a bowl, whip 1/2 cup of the cream just until it holds its shape; reserve in the refrigerator.
• Drain the softened tapioca in a strainer and discard the milk. Rinse the tapioca under cold running water, then place it in a small heavy pot.
• Pour the remaining 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup cream over the oyster trimmings. Bring to a simmer, then strain the infused liquid onto the tapioca. Discard the trimmings.
• Cook the tapioca over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it has thickened and the spoon leaves a trail when it is pulled through, 7 to 8 minutes. Continue to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the tapioca has no resistance in the center and is translucent. The mixture will be sticky and if you lift some on the spoon and let it fall, some should still cling to the spoon. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside in a warm place.
• For the sabayon:
• Place the egg yolks and the 1/4 cup oyster juice in a metal bowl set over a pan of hot water. Whisk vigorously over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes to incorporate as much air as possible. The finished sabayon will have thickened and lightened, the foam will have subsided, and the sabayon will hold a ribbon when it falls from the whisk. If the mixture begins to break, remove it from the heat and whisk quickly off the heat for a moment to recombine, then return to the heat.
• Stir the hot sabayon into the tapioca, along with a generous amount of black pepper. Mix in the crème fraîche and the whipped cream. The tapioca will be a creamy pale yellow with the tapioca pearls suspended in the mixture. Season lightly with salt, remembering that the oysters and the caviar garnish will both be salty. Immediately spoon 1/4 cup tapioca into each of eight 4- by 5- inch gratin dishes (with a 3- to 4- ounce capacity). Tap the gratin dishes on the counter so that the tapioca forms an even layer. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, or for up to a day.
• To complete:
• Preheat the oven to 350º F.
• For the sauce:
• Combine the vermouth, the remaining reserved oyster juice, the shallots, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated but the shallots are glazed, not dry. Whisk in the butter piece by piece, adding a new piece only when the previous one is almost incorporated.
• Meanwhile, place the dishes of tapioca on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they just begin to puff up.
• Add the oysters and the chives to the sauce to warm through.
• Spoon 2 oysters and some of the sauce over each gratin and garnish the top with a quenelle, or small oval scoop, of caviar. Serve immediately.

BLACK PEPPER CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Combine the cream and buttermilk in a measuring pitcher and stir until you get a thick yogurt consistency. Transfer to a jar, cover with cheesecloth or muslin, and secure with a rubber band. Leave at room temperature for 12 hours.
• The crème fraîche is now ready to use. If you want to drain off some liquid so it is thicker, spoon it into a sieve lined with a coffee filter placed over a bowl, and put the setup in the fridge for a few hours. Add the pepper to the cream just before serving.

POACHED OYSTERS IN FENNEL-SAFFRON SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cover and cook until fennel is very tender, about 20 minutes. Puree fennel mixture in processor. Set aside.
• Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saffron; sauté 1 minute. Add clam juice, cream, and Pernod and bring to simmer. Add fennel puree and bring to simmer. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated. Simmer before continuing.) Add oysters with their liquor to cream mixture and stir to heat through. Ladle soup into bowls.

POACHED OYSTERS AND ARTICHOKES WITH CHAMPAGNE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare artichoke bottoms:
• Fill a 3-quart saucepan halfway with water and add vinegar, oil, and salt, then whisk in flour. (Do not heat.)
• Cut off top inch of leaves of 1 artichoke with a serrated knife, then cut stem flush with base and discard stem. Bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base, then discard several more layers of leaves in same manner until exposed leaves are pale green at top and pale yellow at base. Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and side of artichoke with a sharp paring knife, then cut remaining leaves flush with top of artichoke bottom. Drop artichoke bottom into water in pot, putting a sieve or small lid directly on top of artichoke to keep submerged, and prepare remaining artichokes in same manner. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, keeping artichokes submerged with sieve or lid, until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer artichokes with tongs (reserving water in saucepan) to a work surface, and, when cool enough to handle, remove pointed inner leaves and fuzzy chokes with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon. Return artichokes to cooking water to keep warm, covered.
• Cook spinach while artichokes simmer:
• Put 1 inch of water in a 3- to 4-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add spinach, 1 handful at a time, stirring with tongs, and cooking until all spinach is wilted. Drain spinach in a colander and press firmly with back of a large spoon to remove excess liquid.
• Cook shallot in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Keep warm, covered.
• Prepare oysters and sauce:
• Pour oyster liquor into a nonreactive 8-inch heavy skillet and add Champagne, shallot, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil, skimming foam, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes. (Reduce heat if necessary to keep from boiling over.) Pour liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing on and then discarding shallot. Return liquid to skillet, then add cream and oysters and cook over moderate heat, turning oysters over if not completely covered, until edges curl, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Assemble dish and finish sauce:
• Transfer artichoke bottoms with tongs to paper towels to drain, arranging them upside down. Transfer to plates, turning them right side up, then top with spinach. Arrange oysters on top of spinach, lifting them out of sauce with a slotted spoon.
• Boil sauce until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, then chives, and swirl skillet until butter is incorporated. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over oysters.