Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook - Bobby Flay [7]
3. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour. Cook the mixture, whisking occasionally, until it’s deep golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Scrape the onion mixture into the brown roux and cook for about 3 minutes without stirring.
4. While the roux is cooking, pour the shrimp stock and 1 cup water into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
5. Whisk 4 cups of the stock into the roux. Add the tomato and thyme and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the andouille sausage, and continue simmering for about 20 minutes, adding more stock or water if the mixture is too thick. Season the mixture with the honey, Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Discard the thyme.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and sear the scallops on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate.
7. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and heat over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook until just pink, about 1 minute per side.
8. Add the shrimp, scallops, and oysters to the sauce and continue cooking until the oysters and scallops are just cooked through, about 1 minute.
9. Divide the seafood among large shallow bowls, ladle in some of the broth and sausage, and garnish with the crispy okra and chopped cilantro and parsley.
CRISPY OKRA
Serves 6 to 8 as a garnish
Canola oil, for deep-frying
1½ cups fine yellow cornmeal
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ pound okra, sliced ¼ inch thick
1. Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a deep sauté pan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
2. Pour the cornmeal into a shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Season the okra with salt and pepper and then toss in the cornmeal. Fry the okra in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels and season with salt. Serve hot.
Vidalia Onion Soup
VIDALIA ONION SOUP
BLISTERED VERMONT CHEDDAR
This soup is a perfect example of one of the things I love to do at Bar Americain: personalize a French brasserie classic with truly American ingredients. This is our American French onion soup. Vidalia onions are a super-sweet variety of onion grown in—and trade-marked by!—the state of Georgia. Their sweetness is unmatched, and the slow process of caramelizing them in this recipe intensifies their flavor. (If Vidalia onions aren’t unavailable, you can try Walla Wallas from Washington or Hawaii’s Maui onions.) Breaking through the browned crust of sharp Vermont cheddar cheese into the molten interior is the first delicious step in devouring this hearty soup. Fresh parsley pesto finishes the dish with a hit of bright color and flavor.
Serves 8
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds Vidalia onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup brandy
½ cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 thin slices French baguette, lightly toasted
1 pound aged cheddar cheese, grated
Parsley Pesto
1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 40 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the brandy and sherry and boil until almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock and thyme, bring to a simmer, and cook until the soup is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and discard the thyme.
3. Preheat the broiler.
4. Divide eight 16-ounce ovenproof