Creole Oysters Recipe
- 10 stalks cardoons, cut into 2-inch julienne
- Juices of 1 lemon
- 6 cups heavy cream
- 4 dozen oysters, shucked with 1 cup of their liquor reserved
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons gumbo file powder
- Peel and clean the cardoons. Set aside in cold water to cover with the lemon juice.
- In a heavy saucepan, reduce the cream by half over moderate heat. While the cream reduces, cook the cardoons in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and keep warm.
- Strain the oyster liquor into the reduced cream and reduce the mixture by one-third to about 2½ cups. Add the cayenne. Poach the oysters in the cream for 3 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the file gumbo powder or add a pinch to each serving at the table. Drain the cardoons thoroughly and arrange them on a heated deep platter. Pour the oysters and cream over the cardoons. Serve in heated soup plates.
