White Oyster Soup (Oyster Soup à la Reine)

Ingredients

• 8 to 12 dozens oysters
• 2 quarts pale veal stock
• 1 pint cream
• mace
• cayenne
• 1.5 ounces arrow-root
• 4 ounces fresh butter
• 3 ounces flour

Instructions

1. Open the oysters carefully and pour their liquor into a strainer, reserving it.
2. Rinse the oysters in their own liquor, then beard them (remove the muscle attachment).
3. Strain the liquor a second time through a fine sieve or folded muslin, and pour it back over the oysters.
4. Take the veal stock and simmer the oyster beards in it for twenty to thirty minutes.
5. Heat the soup and flavor it with mace and cayenne to taste.
6. Strain the stock from the oyster-beards into the soup.
7. Plump the oysters gently in their own liquor without allowing them to boil.
8. Pour the oyster liquor into the soup.
9. Add the pint of boiling cream to the soup and stir to combine.
10. If thickening is needed, stir the arrow-root (mixed smooth with a little milk or cream) briskly into the hot stock until no lumps remain, or blend the fresh butter with the flour and stir into the boiling stock until thickened.
11. Place the oysters into the tureen and pour the soup over them.
12. Send to table quickly.