Recipes

Oyster Stew

  • Serves

    serves 4

JAMES BAIGRIE

"How tantalizing that milky, creamy sea smell," Paddleford wrote of her mother Jennie's stew in 1965.

Ingredients

  • 28 bluepoint oysters, well chilled
  • 6 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 12 tsp. celery salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • Salt

Instructions

Step 1

Shuck oysters over a medium bowl to catch oyster liquor, putting shucked oysters into another bowl. Discard shells.

Step 2

Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in worcestershire, paprika, and celery salt, then add oysters and bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup of the reserved oyster liquor to pan, discarding any remaining liquor, and bring to a boil. Add milk and half-and-half to pan and heat, stirring once or twice, until just about to boil (do not allow to boil, or stew will curdle), 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Step 3

Divide remaining 2 tbsp. butter between 4 warm soup bowls just before ladling in stew.

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