Recipe - Oyster And Potato Stew With Crisp Bacon

2 tablespoon Unsalted butter
2 md Onions, 1/4inch dice
1 pound Baking potatoes, peeled and
cut into 1/4inch dice
1 md Fennel bulbtrimmed, halved,
cored and cut 1/4in. dice
1 md Carrot, 1/4inch dice
3 cup Fish stock or 1 One half cups
bottled clam juice mixed
with 1 One half cups water
2 cup Halfandhalf
One half pound Slab bacon, 1/4inch dice
24 Shucked oysters, with their
liquor
Salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon Finely chopped fresh
flatleaf parsley

Melt the butter in a large nonreactive saucepan. Add the onions and cook
over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the potatoes, fennel, carrot, fish stock and halfandhalf, reduce heat
to moderatelylow and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about
15 minutes.

Strain the stew into a bowl; set aside 1 One half cups of the vegetables.
Transfer the remaining vegetables along with 2 cups of the liquid to a
blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the puree to the
saucepan and stir in the reserved vegtables and liquid. (Make ahead: The
stew can be refrigerated for up to 1 day).

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderatelyhigh heat until browned
and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Rewarm the stew over moderate heat. Add the oysters with their liquor and
the bacon and cook until the oysters are just firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Season
with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Transfer to shallow soup
plates and serve at once.

Reprinted from Food and Wine Magazine January 1997
Posted to MMRecipes Digest V3 #342

From: Julie Bertholf jewel1@ix.netcom.com

Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 23:11:02 0800