Tips and Recipes
Southern Maryland Oyster Soufflé on the Half Shell

Submitted by Chef Loic Jaffres & Chef David Donnells, Café des Artistes, Leonardtown, MD

Yields 12 Soufflés on the Half Shell
(Oysters topped with a crab imperial mix and soufflé!)

Southern Maryland ingredients highlighted in orange!

Recipe & Prep Summary:

Prepare Crab Imperial
Steam, shuck & garnish Oysters
Make Velouté & Soufflé
Top & Bake

CRAB IMPERIAL :

3 oz. Roux (1/4 lb melted butter & 6 oz. flour: mix together to form paste)
1 cup Mussel or Clam Juice
½ cup cream
1 lb. Fresh Back fin crabmeat (cartilage removed)
4 oz. Swiss cheese (shredded)
½ cup Mayonnaise
4 oz. Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Juice from one lemon
1 tbsp butter
1 cup Panko Japanese Bread Crumbs
6 Shallots (peeled & chopped)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup Solomons Island white wine
1 tsp each (minced) - Thyme & Garlic

In pan: reduce mussel juice by half over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add 3 oz. Roux to thicken. Stirring constantly, slowly add cream, Swiss & Parmesan cheeses. Set aside

In medium skillet, combine butter & shallots; sauté until translucent. Add white wine, thyme & garlic; reduce by half. Add crab meat and continue cooking until dry. Stir crab mixture into cream mixture. Cool; stir in mayonnaise, lemon juice, Panko, salt & pepper. Set aside

STEAM OYSTERS:
Place 12 ‘Circle C’ Oysters in baking pan with one minced shallot, ½ cup white wine, one sprig of fresh thyme and cracked black pepper. Cover with aluminum foil, place over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat & allow to cool. Open oysters and reserve juice for velouté.

OYSTER GARNISH:
1 tbsp Butter, ¼ lb. Sliced shitakes, 6 slices chopped pancetta, 1 lb fresh spinach

Sauté spinach mixture then equally top each oyster. Set aside

VELOUTÉ:
Oyster Juice, 2 oz. Roux, 3 oz. shredded Swiss Cheese, ¼ cup cream

Reduce the reserved juice by half (over high heat). Add remaining ingredients; Reduce until thick, set aside.

SOUFFLÉ MIX :
6 egg whites, 1 tbsp chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp each – lemon juice & parmesan cheese

In large bowl, add a pinch of salt to the egg whites & beat until firm. Fold in velouté mix, cilantro, lemon juice, & parmesan. Equally top each oyster with soufflé mix. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes