Oyster Patties

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup minced shallots
• 1/3 cup minced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pint shucked oysters, coarsely chopped, with their liquor
• Up to 1 cup chicken or seafood stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1 package pastry shells (about 12 shells)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a skillet melt the butter and whisk in the flour.
3. Cook, stirring, until a blond roux is formed, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the shallots, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.
5. Place the oyster liquor in a measuring cup and add enough chicken or seafood stock to bring the volume up to 1 cup.
6. Add the liquid mixture to the roux along with the bay leaves, thyme, Essence, salt, and cayenne pepper, and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
7. Add the heavy cream, parsley and green onions and cook for 3 minutes.
8. (The mixture should be thick and tight.)
9. Add the oysters and cook, stirring, just until the edges begin to curl, 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Set mixture aside and allow to cool slightly while you bake the puff pastry shells.
11. (Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves before filling shells.)
12. Place the pastry shells on a baking sheet and bake according to package directions until light golden brown.
13. Remove from the oven, lower temperature to 350 degrees F, and set shells aside to cool.
14. Once they have cooled, remove the caps and any inner bready part of the shells, so that the shells are now ready to accept the filling.
15. Divide the oyster filling evenly among the shells and return to the oven.
16. Bake until filling is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
17. Remove from the oven and serve while hot.
18. Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
19. Yield: 2/3 cup
20. Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, Published by William Morrow, 1993.

butter, allpurpose, shallots, celery, garlic, oysters, chicken, bay leaves, thyme, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, heavy cream, parsley, green onions, pastry shells, paprika, salt, garlic, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/oyster-patties-recipe.html (may not work)