Oyster and Winter Vegetable Chowder
Chef Bill Telepan
Makes 2 quarts
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 oz. piece of bacon – trimmed and cut into 4 chunks
6 leeks – washed, and sliced thin (4 for soup base, 2 for garnish)
1 stalk celery – cleaned, trimmed, and sliced thin
1/2 onion – peeled, sliced thin
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1 pound potatoes – peeled, quartered, sliced thin (half for soup base; half for garnish)
4 oz. white wine
8 oz. water
24 oysters -scrubbed
4 oz turnips – peeled, quartered, sliced thin
4 oz. cream (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Method:
1. Place 2 Tbsp oil and the bacon in a pot over medium heat; render the bacon until lightly browned.
2. Add leeks, celery, and onion, and cook, covered, on low heat until the vegetables are tender (about 7 minutes).
3. Add stock and potatoes to the pot and bring to boil; simmer until potatoes are tender.
4. Puree the soup base in a blender until smooth, reserve.
5. While base is cooling, steam the oysters. In a pot bring the wine to a boil; add the water; return to the boil, and add the oysters. Cover the pot and steam just until they open. Strain oysters, reserving the oyster juice.
6. When oysters are cool, shuck them and cut the oyster meat in half; reserve.
7. In a pot on low heat, add 2 Tbsp oil. Add the remaining leeks (whites only), and potatoes, and the turnips to the pot, and cook until tender. Add pureed soup base and oyster juice, bring to a boil. If using cream, add and bring back to a boil. Add oyster.
8. Stir in parsley and serve.