Food Encyclopedia

oysters Bienville

A dish named in honor of Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, the founder of New Orleans. Oysters Bienville was created in the late 1930s at one of New Orleans's most famous restaurants, Antoine's. It consists of oysters on the half shell topped with a béchamel flavored with sherry and cayenne and mixed with sauteed garlic, shallots, mushrooms and minced shrimp. A breadcrumb-grated cheese mixture is sprinkled over the top and the oysters are baked on a bed of rock salt until bubbly and browned.