Fresh oysters are a big deal on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, so a classic oyster stew has become a Christmas Eve tradition in this part of the country!
Course Appetizer, Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword chesapeake bay oyster stew recipe, oyster stew
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
0 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 4people (1 cup per serving)
Calories 288kcal
Author Blair Lonergan
Ingredients
1 ½cupswhole milk, at room temperature
½cuphalf-and-half or heavy cream, at room temperature
For garnish: chopped fresh chives, sliced green onions, or a dash of paprika
Instructions
Place milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a medium saucepan or soup pot. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, just until hot (about 10 minutes). Do not boil.
In a separate skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add the oysters, liquor and Worcestershire sauce. Sauté until the edge of the oysters just begin to curl (2-3 minutes). Transfer the oyster mixture to the pot of milk, and cook over medium-low heat for about 2 more minutes. Do not boil.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chives or paprika, if desired.
Notes
Do not strain off the oyster liquor from the jar of oysters. This liquid adds delicious, briny, rich flavor to the broth.
How to keep oyster stew from curdling: With any milk or cream-based soup, it's important to make sure that you don't let the soup get too hot, or the liquid will curdle. Keep the stew over medium-low or low heat and watch it closely. It's also important to allow the milk and cream to come to room temperature before adding it to the pot.
Use whole milk (not a lower-fat alternative), since the whole milk is less likely to curdle when cooked.
This recipe yields 4 cups of stew, or enough for about 4 small servings. If you would like to serve this dish to a larger group, you can multiply all of the ingredients accordingly. For instance, double the ingredients for 8 cups, triple the ingredients for 12 cups, and so on.
Garnish each bowl with green onions, chives, parsley, or other fresh herbs for a bright touch that nicely balances the rich, creamy broth.
Recipe slightly adapted from the cookbook Dishing Up Virginia