Make this oyster stew as part of a New England Christmas dinner. Oyster Stew may sound exotic, but it is very simple — just three ingredients, plus seasonings. Serve with French bread to sop up the creamy soup. This soup does not store well, so prepare the amount you wish to serve immediately. You may halve or double the recipe with no problem.
Oysters come in a shell: There’s no way to get around it. And somebody has to get those little suckers out of there. You can do it at home, and if you’re serving oysters on the half shell, you have to get ’em out yourself. For this Oyster Stew, you can use shucked oysters as long as they come in their own natural juices.
When buying fresh oysters, or any seafood for that matter: Buy from a reputable purveyor. The person or company you buy the oysters from should be able to guarantee that the oysters came from safe waters and are fresh.
Oyster Stew
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
4 dozen shucked oysters, with juices
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the oysters, their juices, the cream, and the milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the oysters curl up around the edges, about 10 minutes. Do not let the liquid boil. A few small bubbles around the edge of the pan are fine, though.
Season liberally with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.
Rinse out your soup bowls with hot tap water to preheat them. Soups can cool off quickly, especially a soup like the Oyster Stew, which never boils. A preheated bowl helps to slow down the cooling process.
Per serving: Calories 339 (From Fat 243); Fat 27g (Saturated 16g); Cholesterol 174mg; Sodium 537mg; Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 14g.