Oyster and Wild Rice Bisque

Use Wellfleet oysters from Cape Cod, if possible. Reminiscent of chowder, this bisque is a touch lighter, filled out with wild rice rather than the more common potatoes. Use salt pork—an old New England favorite—for bacon, if you prefer.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  bacon slices, chopped
• 2  cups  chopped onion (about 2 medium)
• 2  cups  shucked oysters, undrained
• 1  cup  clam juice
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  bay leaf
• 1 1/2  cups  cooked wild rice
• 1 1/4  cups  whole milk
• 3  tablespoons  half-and-half
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat 6 minutes or until crisp. Stir in onion; cover and cook 8 minutes or until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Strain oysters through a sieve over a bowl. Reserve oysters; add oyster liquid to pan. Combine clam juice and flour in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add clam juice mixture, broth, and bay leaf to pan. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring mixture to a boil; cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 6 minutes).

3. Reduce heat to low. Discard bay leaf. Stir in rice, milk, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in reserved oysters; cook 5 minutes or until edges of oysters curl. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

141 (33% from fat)

Fat:

5.2g (sat 2.1g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

8.2g

Carbohydrate:

15.5g

Fiber:

1.3g

Cholesterol:

43mg

Iron:

4.6mg

Sodium:

357mg

Calcium:

91mg