• Course: Appetizer, Soup

Ingredients:

• 24 large oysters with deep half-shells, such as Hayden's Reef, Beausoleil, Wellfleet, Quilcene or Dragon Creek, scrubbed thoroughly (see headnote)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1 thick slice (2 ounces total) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5 sprigs thyme, tied in a bundle with kitchen twine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 medium shallots, chopped (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/4 cup)
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 small Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/4 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle-flavored hot sauce, such as Chipotle Tabasco brand
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Rock salt, for plating
• Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions:

Prepare a bed of crumpled aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet for the oysters to nest in so they won't tip over as they roast.

Shuck the oysters and use your oyster knife to separate the oysters from the shells, leaving them in their half-shells. Arrange them in the crumpled foil, side by side. Cover loosely with damp paper towels and refrigerate (up to a few hours in advance).

When you are ready to cook the oysters, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a plate with several layers of paper towels.

Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the bacon and cook for about 3 minutes or until its fat is rendered and the pieces are lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to the lined plate. Reserve the bacon fat from the pan for another use, or discard it.

Combine the heavy cream, thyme sprig bundle, bay leaf and chopped garlic in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes, until the cream has reduced to a total of 1 1/2 cups.

Stir in the cooked bacon, shallots, celery, carrots, potatoes, chipotle hot sauce and black pepper; cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft, to form a chowder. Adjust the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Reduce the heat to low to keep the chowder warm.

Spread a layer of the rock salt about 1 inch thick on each of 6 individual plates. (The salt will anchor the roasted oysters the way the foil did on the baking sheet.)

Remove the paper towels from the oysters, transfer the baking sheet to the lowest oven rack and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the oysters' juices are bubbling and the edges of the oysters begin to curl.

Use a dish towel (the shells will be hot) to transfer 4 oysters to each plate. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chowder onto each oyster. (Depending on the size of your oysters, there might be some chowder left over.)

Garnish with the chopped chives; serve immediately. Discard the rock salt on the plates after the meal.

Recipe Source:

From Sourced columnist David Hagedorn.

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