Over medium low heat cook bacon in a pan til lightly crisp do not burn and drain off 80% of the fat.
Remove the bacon and add the butter to the pan.
Once the butter is melted add onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and potatoes. Cook on low heat until the onions begin to soften.
Add fresh minced garlic and cooked bacon.
Add white wine and deglaze the pan. Use a spoon to scrape brown bits off the bottom and continue to cook until reduced by 2/3.
Add vegetable stock (You can also substitute with water, chicken stock, and/or fish stock).
Add cream.
Add all the spices and bring mixture to a low simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the cornstarch slurry and cook another 2 minutes. (If the soup is too thick add water or vegetable stock until it reaches desired consistency)
Finally add the oysters and liquor and continue to cook another 5 minutes on a low simmer.
Add salt to taste (Oysters differ in salt content depending on source salinity levels so you may want to adjust here).
Garnish with a fresh squeeze of lemon and/or Maryland Oyster Dressing and enjoy!
