Oyster Stew
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 225kcal
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe, this family favorite oyster stew is the best I’ve ever had! Unlike many oyster stew recipes, ours call for a little bit of potato, which makes this stew stick to your ribs satisfying without diluting the delicate oyster taste.
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Ingredients
- 1 pint (473 ml) oysters Note 1
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat or butter
- 1 cup diced potato about 1 potato Note 2
- 1 cup diced celery 2-3 celery stalks
- 1 small shallot minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- 2 cups whole milk slightly warmed Note 3
For serving:
- Fresh parsley
- Hot sauce such as Tabasco
- Soda crackers
Instructions
- Drain the oysters over a bowl with a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove any sand or shell bits. Reserve the oyster juice. Roughly chop the oysters.
- Place a paper towel over a mesh sieve to catch any sand and impurities and run the reserved oyster juice through the sieve into a clean bowl.
- Heat a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add bacon fat or butter.
- Once the fat is melted and hot, add potatoes, celery and shallot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium and add flour, old bay seasoning and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour is nicely toasted, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add reserved oyster juice, continuously stirring everything and scraping the fond (brown bits), built on the bottom of the pan. The mixture will get super thick, which is normal. If needed, add a little bit (1-2 tablespoons) of water to get all the brown bits scrapped off.
- Then slowly pour in milk, while stirring everything constantly, to gradually incorporate everything.
- Reduce heat to low/simmer, and slowly heat the soup up to a boil. Then simmer until the potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes. (TIP: Don’t rush this step, because if you bring the soup to a boil too quickly, it’ll curdle, which won’t affect the flavor, but it’ll look unappetizing.)
- Add oysters and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately with fresh parsley, hot sauce and soda crackers.
- Store leftover oyster stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen oyster stew in the fridge overnight, and then reheat it slowly over low heat.
Notes
Note 1: I use jarred oyster, since we live far from the ocean and fresh oysters are not readily available. But you can definitely use freshly shucked oysters.
Note 2: You’ll need 1 smallish potato. Russet or Yukon gold potatoes are best for this recipe.
Note 3: I highly recommend whole milk here for rich flavors. Read the post above to learn 2 reasons why you want to warm up the milk.
Nutrition
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 225kcal
Carbohydrates: 23.8g
Protein: 14.9g
Fat: 6.3g
Sugar: 7.3g
Sodium: 476mg