Ingredients
½ cup bacon, finely diced
1 Tablespoon butter
1/3 cup onion, finely diced
1/3 cup leek, finely diced
1/3 cup celery, finely diced
1 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup white wine
2 cups milk/cream
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 local juicy oysters
To make.
- Cook bacon over medium heat in a heavy duty sauce pot until well browned but still fatty, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the butter, onions, leeks and celery, cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute covered.
- Add the thyme and white wine, reduce until almost dry, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the milk/cream and reserved oyster juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. It will be “broken," but it is OK. Blend the soup with a hand-held or counter-top blender. Then strain.
- Reheat the oysters in the chowder on very low heat, Do NOT BOIL.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of good olive oil.