1 quart (about 950 ml) shucked oysters with their liquor
4 cups (950 ml) whole milk
1 slice onion
2 stalks celery
2 blades mace
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 small bay leaf
0.25 cup (57 g / 60 ml) unsalted butter
0.25 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
1 Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Clean the oysters: rinse them under cold water, removing any shell fragments or grit. Drain and reserve all liquor. Chop the oysters coarsely — roughly 3 to 4 cuts per oyster.
2. Combine the reserved oyster liquor and the chopped oysters in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat slowly to the boiling point, 5 to 8 minutes, until the oyster edges curl and the liquor just begins to bubble. Do not allow a rolling boil.
3. Strain the mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth set over a bowl, pressing gently to extract all liquid. Discard the solids. Return the strained liquor to the saucepan and bring back to a gentle simmer over low heat, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Make a beurre manié (a technique in which equal parts softened butter and flour are worked together into a paste before being whisked into a hot liquid to thicken it): in a small bowl, mash together the 1/4 cup (57 g) butter and 1/4 cup (30 g) flour with a fork until a smooth paste forms.
5. Whisk the beurre manié into the simmering oyster liquor in small pieces, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated and the liquid has thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon.
6. Scald the milk (scalding means heating a liquid to just below boiling, approximately 180°F / 82°C, until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan and steam rises — do not boil): place the 4 cups (950 ml) whole milk in a separate saucepan with the onion slice, celery stalks, mace blades, parsley sprig, and bay leaf. Heat over medium heat, 6 to 10 minutes, until wisps of steam rise and small bubbles ring the pan. Remove from heat.
7. Strain the scalded milk through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all seasonings. Discard the solids.
8. Slowly pour the strained milk into the thickened oyster liquor, stirring gently to combine. Return the soup to low heat and warm through, 3 to 5 minutes, until the soup reaches approximately 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer and is steaming throughout. Do not boil.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.
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