Name: Oyster Soup with Frizzled Leeks
Yield: Makes 8 servings (about 11 cups)
Ingredients: 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), trimmed; 4 cups vegetable oil; 1 1/2 cups shucked small oysters (6 dozen) with 1 1/2 cups of their liquor (if necessary, add enough bottled clam juice to bring total to 1 1/2 cups); 2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped; 2 large russet (baking) potatoes (1 pound total); 1 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 1/2 cups water; 1 cup half-and-half; Pinch of cayenne; a deep-fat thermometer

Image may contain Bowl Food Dish Meal and Soup Bowl

Oyster Soup with Frizzled LeeksQuentin Bacon

It's very important to use small oysters — such as Kumamoto or Prince Edward Island — in this soup. The oysters themselves (not the shell) should be no more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. When we tested the recipe with larger ones, the flavor was much too briny.

Cooks' notes:

·Fried leeks can be made 3 days ahead and kept in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature.
·Soup base (without oyster liquor, half-and-half, oysters, and cayenne) can be made 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Crème Anglaise

The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.