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Oysters Bonne Femme

Source of Recipe

From "The Restaurants of New Orleans" by Roy F Guste


Recipe Introduction

"New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin." — Mark Twain

List of Ingredients

◦  3 dozen oysters in their liquor
◦  3 tablespoons butter
◦  3 tablespoons flour
◦  ½ cup dry white wine
◦  ¾ cup chopped green onions
◦  1 tablespoon minced parsley
◦  1 teaspoon salt or to taste
◦  ½ teaspoon white pepper or to taste
◦  1 cup lump crabmeat
◦  1 ounce grated Swiss cheese (2 tablespoons)
◦  1 ounce grated Romano cheese (2 tablespoons)
◦  1 ounce grated mozzarella cheese (2 tablespoons)
◦  ⅓ cup bread crumbs


Recipe

Put the oysters in a small saucepan with their liquor and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are cooked, not soft. Strain the liquid from the oysters (about 1 ¾ cups) and set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook the flour and butter together for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes foamy. Add the reserved oyster liquor, the white wine, green onions, parsley, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Fold in the oysters and crabmeat, being careful not to break them up. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

In a separate bowl, blend the grated cheeses and bread crumbs. To serve, spoon the warm oyster and crabmeat mixture into either a one-quart soufflé dish or six individual ½-cup soufflé dishes. Sprinkle the cheese and bread crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 400° F oven or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. Remove from the oven and serve.

Serves 6