Bongo Bongo Soup

Name: Bongo Bongo Soup
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 (10-oz.) package partially thawed frozen spinach; 6 shucked oysters and their liquor; 2 tbsp. bottled clam juice; 1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped; Freshly ground white pepper; 4 cups half-and-half; 1 tbsp. butter; 2 tbsp. A.1. Steak Sauce; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. Tabasco; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. worcestershire sauce; Salt; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. cornstarch; 3 tbsp. heavy cream, chilled

Serves
serves 4

This unusual soup, a Bergeron invention, was perhaps inspired by the soup called boula boula, a puree of pea soup and turtle soup that was popularized by Jacqueline Kennedy in the early 1960s. Trader Vic's uses jarred Pacific coast oysters for this dish.

Ingredients

1 (10-oz.) package partially thawed frozen spinach
6 shucked oysters and their liquor
2 tbsp. bottled clam juice
1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped
Freshly ground white pepper
4 cups half-and-half
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. A.1. Steak Sauce
¹⁄₂ tsp. Tabasco
¹⁄₂ tsp. worcestershire sauce
Salt
¹⁄₂ tsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. heavy cream, chilled

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Instructions

Step 1

Put spinach, oysters and their liquor, clam juice, garlic, and pepper to taste into a medium nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, breaking up spinach with the back of a spoon, and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée until very smooth. Set spinach–oyster mixture aside.

Step 2

Preheat broiler. Bring half-and-half to a simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Whisk in butter, then spinach–oyster purée, and return to a simmer. Add steak sauce, Tabasco, worcestershire, and salt to taste. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp. water, then whisk into soup. Keep soup warm over lowest heat.

Step 3

Whisk cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Divide soup between 4 shallow heatproof soup bowls and put a big spoonful of the whipped cream on top of each. Place bowls of soup under broiler briefly to brown cream, then serve soup immediately.

Put spinach, oysters and their liquor, clam juice, garlic, and pepper to taste into a medium nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, breaking up spinach with the back of a spoon, and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée until very smooth. Set spinach–oyster mixture aside.
Preheat broiler. Bring half-and-half to a simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Whisk in butter, then spinach–oyster purée, and return to a simmer. Add steak sauce, Tabasco, worcestershire, and salt to taste. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp. water, then whisk into soup. Keep soup warm over lowest heat.
Whisk cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Divide soup between 4 shallow heatproof soup bowls and put a big spoonful of the whipped cream on top of each. Place bowls of soup under broiler briefly to brown cream, then serve soup immediately.