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Benne-Oyster Soup

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Submitted by zeno

A Lowcountry classic: toasted benne (sesame) seeds ground into a paste and stirred into warm cream with oyster liquor and fresh shucked oysters. Rich, briny, and ready in 30 minutes.

YIELD

2 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

20 min

READY

30 min

This soup is pure Lowcountry heritage in a bowl.

Benne seeds, the heirloom sesame seeds that have been a cornerstone of Southern coastal cooking since the 1700s, get toasted until nutty and fragrant, then ground to a paste with a mortar and pestle.

That paste is stirred into a gentle bath of warm cream and oyster liquor, and the fresh shucked oysters go in at the very end, just until their edges curl.

It’s a soup of remarkable elegance for how few ingredients it requires. The nutty depth of benne, the salinity of fresh oysters, and the richness of cream come together in something that tastes like the Charleston coast.

Kitchen Tips

  • Toast the benne seeds evenly. Shake the pan or stir every few minutes. They go from golden to burnt quickly, and burnt sesame turns bitter.
  • Grind to a real paste. A few drops of oyster liquor or cream in the mortar helps the seeds break down. You want smooth, not gritty.
  • Don’t overcook the oysters. They need only about a minute in the warm cream. The moment the edges curl, they’re done. Overcooked oysters turn rubbery.
  • Serve immediately. This soup doesn’t hold well. The oysters continue to cook in the hot liquid, so ladle it up as soon as it’s ready.

Ingredients

1 15
TABLESPOON ML SESAME SEED
benne
1 237
CUP ML OYSTER LIQUEUR
drained from the oysters *
1 237
CUP ML CREAM
12 12
LARGE LARGE OYSTER
shucked *
1
X CAYENNE PEPPER
and black pepper, to taste *

Directions

On a baking sheet in a preheated 350℉ (180℃) F oven or in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, cook the benne seeds until evenly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove to a mortar and grind with a pestle, until a paste forms, adding a few drops of oyster liquor or cream if necessary.

Heat the cream and oyster liquor together in a saucepan.

Gradually stir in the benne paste, the add the oysters and continue to heat until oysters are just curled.

It takes only a minute.

Season with cayenne and black pepper.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 125g (4.4 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 259 88% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g 39%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 79mg 26%
Sodium 49mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Sugars g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A 16% Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 16% Iron 4%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Low Carb, Sugar-Free, Low Sodium
 

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