Pommes De Terre Aux Huitres Baked Potatoes With Oysters Recipes

POMMES DE TERRE AUX HUITRES (BAKED POTATOES WITH OYSTERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake one hour to one hour and 15 minutes or until done.
• Meanwhile, melt one tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the onion, green pepper and celery. Cook, stirring, until wilted but still crisp.
• When the potatoes are done, slice off the top of each one, about half an inch from the top. Carefully scoop out the center of each potato bottom to make a "boat" for the stuffing. Put the scrapedout potato pulp into the saucepan and mash well and uniformly with the green pepper mixture. Add the cream, two tablespoons of the butter, salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg and scallions. Blend well.
• Cut each oyster in half (if they are large) and add them to the potato mixture. Cook, stirring, over moderate heat for about two minutes.
• Fill the potato boats with the mixture, piling it up and smoothing it over.
• Sprinkle the top of each potato with bread crumbs. Arrange the potatoes, stuffed side up, on a baking dish. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and pour it over the crumbs. Place in the oven and bake 15 minutes.

HUITRES CHAUDES AUX BLANCS DE POIREAUX (HOT OYSTERS WITH LEEKS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Open the oysters, reserving their liquid and half of the shells. Set the shells aside. Put the oysters and their liquid in a saucepan.
• Place the oyster shells on a baking dish and bake in the oven 10 minutes.
• Cut off the ends of the leeks. Cut off and save for another use the green part of the leeks. Cut the white part of the leeks crosswise into two-inch lengths. Cut the leeks in half and then into quarters. Cut the lengths of leeks into the finest possible julienne shreds. There should be about three cups loosely packed.
• Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the leeks and salt and pepper. Stir and add the water. Continue cooking and stirring about five minutes or until the leeks are wilted and lose their raw taste. Set aside.
• To make a beurre blanc, heat one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook, stirring often, about one minute. Add the vinegar and cook down totally. Add half a cup of the wine. Cook down, stirring often, until the wine is almost but not totally evaporated.
• Over low heat, beat in the remaining butter piece by piece and remove from the heat. Stir in the leeks.
• Heat the oysters and their liquor with the remaining two tablespoons of wine. Cook briefly until the edges of the oysters curl. Carefully transfer the oysters to a small platter. Cook the liquid down over high heat to two tablepoons. Add this to the leek and butter sauce. Add the oysters. Heat gently without boiling.
• Spoon equal portions of the oyster mixture into the oyster shells. Use one oyster per shell. Arrange them on a baking dish.
• Place the oysters in the oven and bake 30 seconds and serve.

POMMES DE TERRE LORETTE

Steps:

• Make duchesse potatoes:
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover potatoes with cold salted water by 1 inch in a 2-quart pot, then simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain potatoes in a colander and return to pot. Dry potatoes by shaking pot over low heat until all moisture is evaporated and a film begins to appear on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes.
• Force potatoes through ricer into a bowl. Add butter, whole egg and yolk, salt, and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon until very smooth. Keep potato mixture warm, covered.
• Make pâte à choux:
• Bring water, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to moderate.
• Add flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls away from side of pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add potato mixture and stir until combined well. Transfer mixture to pastry bag.
• Form and fry potatoes:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°F.
• Heat 2 inches oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until thermometer registers 370°F.
• Resting metal tip of pastry bag on edge of pot, pipe 8 (2-inch) lengths of potato mixture directly into oil (use caution when piping into hot oil), using a small knife or kitchen shears to cut off each length of dough at tip of bag. Fry potatoes, turning over once with a slotted spoon, until crisp, golden, and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Fry remaining potato mixture in batches in same manner.
• Transfer potatoes as fried and drained to a metal rack set in a large shallow baking pan in oven to keep them crisp and warm until ready to serve.

POMMES DE TERRE CHARCUTIERE (BAKED POTATOES STUFFED WITH PORK)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake one hour to one hour and 15 minutes or until done.
• Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the pork, sage, salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring down with the side of a heavy metal spoon to break up any lumps, until meat loses its raw look.
• When the potatoes are done, slice off the top of each one, about half an inch from the top. Carefully scoop out the center of each potato bottom to make a "boat" for stuffing. Put the scraped-out potato pulp into the saucepan and mash well and uniformly with the meat mixture. Add the milk, three tablespoons of the butter, salt and pepper to taste and parsley and blend thoroughly.
• Fill the potato boats with the mixture, piling it up and smoothing it over.
• Arrange the potatoes, stuffed side up, on a baking dish. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush the tops of each potato with it. Hold a sieve over the top of each potato and sprinkle the paprika through the sieve onto the tops of the potatoes.
• Return the potatoes to the oven and bake 15 minutes.