36 Raw oysters; on half shell
6 Pie tins; filled with rock
- salt
4 tb Butter
1/2 c Onion; finely minced
1/2 c Bell pepper; finely minced
1 c Green onion; finely minced
2 cl Garlic; minced
1-1/2 c Raw shrimp; minced
1 c Fresh mushrooms; minced
1/2 c White wine
1 tb Fresh lemon juice
2 c Bechamel sauce (make it with
- half-and-half or cream
- instead of milk, for an
- extra-rich sauce
2/3 c Cheddar cheese; grated
1/2 c Fresh French bread crumbs
Salt
White pepper
Tabasco
1 ds Peychaud's bitters or
- Angostura bitters
This sumptuous dish is served in many New Orleans restaurants.
I've heard that it was invented over 75 years ago at Arnaud's
Restaurant, but Antoine's Restaurant also claims to have invented
it in the 1940s. It's named for the Sieur de Bienville, Jean
Baptiste le Moyne, founder of the City of New Orleans.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Melt the butter, then sauty the onions, bell pepper, green onions,
mushrooms, and garlic until soft; add the shrimp and cook for
1 minute until barely pink. Deglaze with the white wine and lemon
juice, and bring to a boil. Add the Bechamel sauce, cheese, and
bread crumbs, and reduce to a simmer. Add salt, white pepper, and
Tabasco to taste, dash of Peychaud's, then simmer for 20 minutes,
or until very thick.
Arrange 6 raw oysters in each of the pans, firmly nestled in the
rock salt. Cover each oyster with the sauce, and bake for
10 minutes, until the oysters and sauce are very hot and the top of
the sauce is browned. Serve at once.
The rock salt helps stabilize the oyster shells as this dish cooks.
It's there for support, not seasoning; make sure you don't get any
on your oysters, or they'll be too salty.
