Christmas Eve Oyster Stew Recipes

OYSTER STEW

Steps:

• Use a strainer to drain the oyster juice (liqueur) into a bowl. Set the oyster liqueur aside, cover the remaining oysters and put them in the refrigerator while making the rest of the soup.
• Dice the bacon and start cooking it over medium to medium high heat, stirring occasionally. (To dice, lay the pound of bacon on the cutting board and cut across the grain horizontally in 1/2" dice.
• Chop the onion and add it to the pot while the bacon is cooking. Cook over medium for about 5 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent. While onions are cooking chop the scrubbed potatoes, celery and carrots.
• After the onions are soft, add the garlic, rosemary and Old Bay and stir in for about 1 minute to blend together. Then add the potatoes, celery and carrots to the pot and stir everything together.
• Add sherry and oyster liqueur to the pot of vegetables and cook over medium to medium low heat for about 45 minutes
• Remove oysters from refrigerator and add to the pot. Add the cream and the milk and stir together gently. Add butter and bring everything to a simmer. Watch the pot at this point so that the milk does not boil or curdle. It should take about 5 minutes to get it all up to a simmer. Once heated through and simmering it is ready to serve.
• Serve with oyster crackers or some robust bread and enjoy!

OYSTER STEW

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the celery and shallots until shallots are tender.
• Pour half-and-half into a large pot over medium-high heat. Mix in the butter, celery, and shallot mixture. Stir continuously. When the mixture is almost boiling, pour the oysters and their liquid into the pot. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir continuously until the oysters curl at the ends. When the oysters curl the stew is finished cooking; turn off the heat and serve.

OYSTER STEW

Steps:

• Drain oysters and reserve their liquid. If the reserved liquid is particularly gritty, strain it through a double layer of cheese cloth.
• In a large saucepan over medium to medium-low heat, melt the butter. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over the top and whisk to incorporate. (I like to use this flat whisk.) Then whisk in salt, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Cook for 1 minute, whisking gently all the while.
• Whisk in reserved oyster juice. And then slowly add milk, whisking constantly to incorporate. Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until mixture is steaming and bubbles just start to appear around the edge of the saucepan. Do not let mixture come to a boil. Turn heat down just a bit to low, and let cook for 10 minutes.
• Add oysters and cook for 2 more minutes, or until oysters start to curl. Taste test and add a bit more salt if you like. Black pepper and fresh chopped parsley are optional.

OYSTER STEW

Steps:

• Melt butter in 1 1/2-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in oysters. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until edges curl.
• Heat milk and half-and-half in 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat until hot. Stir in salt, pepper and oyster mixture; heat until hot. Garnish with parsley and bell pepper.

CHRISTMAS OYSTER STEW

Steps:

• Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the celery and shallots and saute until the shallots are translucent.
• Pour half-and-half into a large pot over medium-high heat. Mix in 2 sticks of butter, celery, and shallot mixture. Stir continuously. When the mixture is almost boiling, pour the oysters and their liquid into the pot. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Stir continuously until the oysters curl at the ends. When the oysters curl the stew is finished cooking; turn off the heat and serve.
• Add celery salt and paprika to each bowl along with a 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoon square of butter from the remaining sticks.

CHRISTMAS EVE OYSTER STEW

Steps:

• Add milk, butter and oysters with their juice to a double boiler or a large pot that fits inside of another pot. Fill the bottom pot as full of water as you can without it running over.
• Add a little celery salt, salt and pepper and then heat on low. Cook very slowy so the milk won't boil (I start at 1 pm. for dinner at 6 pm). Every now and then stir. After a few hours, do a taste test to adjust seasonings.
• Serve with oyster crackers.