Oysters Bienville: Another Decadent Oyster Dish
Oysters are in an extraordinary class of ingredients. They can transform from a super casual eat-straight-out-of-the-ocean seafood to being something delicate, and even quite decadent. Such is the case with Oysters Bienville. The name alone lets you know you’re in store for a savory and celebratory dish.
Maybe it’s the French name that conjures up thoughts of butter, heavy cream, and wine regardless of whether you’ve tasted the dish. And your instincts would be correct. This recipe calls for all these ingredients as well as plump, fresh, minced shrimp, among others. When properly prepared, the oysters are delightfully poached in a béchamel sauce so richly flavorful you might be transported to another place and time.
But where...?
The home of Oysters Bienville is the Big Easy, aka New Orleans, Louisiana. The dish has a slight kick to it thanks to a small hit of hot sauce (depending, of course, on who’s preparing them), which feels very Louisiana. The French influence in New Orleans is well known. Most often served as an appetizer, this seafood dish is named for the “Father of Lousiana,” Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (1680–1767), who was also the French governor of Louisiana and the founder of New Orleans.
As to where the dish originated, you have to shuck a few to get to the bottom of the debate. Many recipes claim the dish originated at the renowned Antoine’s Restaurant. In contrast, others insist it was at the acclaimed Arnaud’s Restaurant, where you will find Oysters Bienville listed prominently on the menu.
Antoine Alciatore adopted the city of New Orleans in the mid-1800s and established a historical restaurant of great fame that would endure under his family’s direction for more than 180 years. It set the standard for making New Orleans one of the great dining centers of the world. Alciatore invented famous dishes, like Oysters Rockefeller, and has fed many royals, celebrities, and presidents.
In 1918, a colorful French wine salesman named Arnaud Cazenave opened the great New Orleans restaurant that bears his name. He dedicated it to creating superior creole cooking. His love of excellent food, especially French-inspired cuisine, was piqued after enjoying another of Antoine’s inventions—Chef Auguste Michel’s creation Oysters Bienville. The difference, it’s believed, is that bacon was added to the version served at Arnaud’s. In the late 70s, the restaurant was bought by the Casbarian family, who has owned it now for four generations. The dish remains on the menu today.
What is certain is the dish is named for the founder of New Orleans, and that is as decadent as you would expect an oyster dish in béchamel to be. What is perhaps not anticipated is that there’s no reason to wait for a trip to New Orleans or a fancy occasion to indulge in this delight. No extraordinary event required for this joie de vivre!
