Oyster Stew Recipe

A traditional US Christmas Eve dish, this recipe makes enough for 6 servings.

Ingredients

1 pint shucked oysters, with liquor
1 qt/1 litre milk
1/4 cup/60 ml butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Other seasonings (if desired - see below)

Preparation

Melt the butter and cook oysters with their liquor until the edges begin to curl.

Add the milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat slowly, being careful to not boil.

Serve immediately when hot through.

Chef's Tips

For a variation, try oyster stew with:

• a little grated nutmeg
• a bay leaf cooked in the milk and removed before serving
• a dash of Tabasco sauce
• a dash of Worcester sauce
• a little paprika dusted on top
• chopped parsley
• a little chopped tarragon or thyme
• finely minced garlic (cooked with the oysters in the butter)
• a dash of cayenne pepper or
• a small quantity of minced onions and celery (cooked in the butter before adding the oysters)

Some cooks like to replace some of the milk with cream, depending on how rich you want the soup.