Oyster Stew

This is a variation of the recipe published in Saveur in Issue #115

Ingredients

50 fresh oysters, shucked, with 1 cup of the liquid reserved
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 pound of sliced baby portobello mushrooms
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 large finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream

Directions

Combine oyster with 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the oysters and simmer, about 2 minutes. Strain and reserve oysters and cooking liquid separately. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add mushrooms, garlic, onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until onions and mushrooms are very soft, about 25 minutes. Stir in milk, cream, oystersaand liquid, stirring occasionally, until just hot, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6