Oyster Stew

[Maeve]

I wanted to share a recipe I made over the weekend for Oyster Stew. I had picked up a pint of oysters from the seafood guy (sells it fresh on the corner near where I live) and so, here is the recipe I used. One pint has a little over the amount of oysters called for but that's ok. I made a mini-recipe just for me later!!!

This recipe is from [COLOR=blue]The Oxford Inn in Oxford, Maryland on the Eastern Shore.[/COLOR] It is the best oyster stew I have ever eaten and now, you can eat it too!

12 large oysters
1/2 cup buter
1-1/2 t. dried parsley
1 t. Old Bay seasoning*
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. Worcestershire
12 oz. half-and half (1-1/2 cups)

Saute the oysters with the butter in a small pan with all the seasonings. Stir the oysters just once, cook until the oysters curl on the sides. Add the half and half all at once, and do not stir. Bring to a slight boil so that the half and half separates. Turn off the heat. Divide the oysters between two bowls and pour the cream sauce over them. Serves two.

I didn't divide the oysters; I just ladled.

*Old Bay is a seasoning that is made in Baltimore and my family has used it for decades. Sometimes, it is called spike. Use any other brand of seafood seasoning, if you can find it in your local grocery store. It's a little spicy and has red pepper and celery seed, and other stuff in it. It's delicious!

[Linny]

Wow no one ever commented on this? Thanks for posting and I cannot wait to try it.

[Charski]

I've never seen this one! MMMMM, I'd have it all to myself too, DH won't eat oysters except in Oysters Rockefeller.

[Maeve]

Hello, ladies! It is a little weird that no one else ever replied to my post but maybe we're the only ones who love oysters! Makes me feel like making some this weekend!

I haven't been on for quite awhile. No weight gain, no loss either. Just have had alot going on. But I'm back in the saddle this morning.

Enjoy the stew! It's delicious and nothing bad in that Old Bay, either.

[Maeve]

Oh, lawd. I just noticed that I spelled butter wrong in my original post! hahaha

[Charski]

Hey Maeve! Buter, butter, I knew what you meant!

You posted this in Dec. 2004, I joined in Sept. 2004 - I have to assume I probably wasn't posting much yet then and that is the ONLY reason I can think that I didn't see and/or respond to this, because I LOVE oyster stew.

Anyway never too late, and welcome back!

[Maeve]

Thank you, Charski. Wow, that WAS a long time ago. It really is a delicious recipe. And is ready almost instantly.

I don't have all of my stats posted but I used to weigh 250. I've kept it off; just a whole slew events, one of which included the gym I went to burning down and job loss.

Do you like clams, too? I have a recipe that I found for a Mediterranean-style clam chowder. I'll post it if you want. It's out of a Julia Child book. It's awesome...and low carb!

[Charski]

Oh lordy yes, any type of shellfish - and if you have a great Oysters Rockefeller recipe I'd be forever indebted!

CONGRATS on keeping your weight off! That's a major fete.

[Maeve]

Hahaha...ok! I love seafood, too. And thank you very much for the compliment. I'll go get my book and post the clam chowder one. It's easy and delicious.

[Maeve]

This recipe is out of the Julia Child cookbook, "The Way to Cook." I was lucky enough to find it at a church rummage sale!

All Purpose Mediterranean Soup Base

This recipe was in the section on seafood soups and was a perfect answer to my craving for clam chowder (my favorite is New England clam chowder but...we all know how that goes).

Before I give the recipe, I want to say that it calls for saffron, which really just imparts the color. You can find a cheap counterpart at a Latino grocery store or your store's section. It's labeled saffron but is so cheap, I doubt it is the same kind but it works. Also, I add chopped celery and just use canned tomatoes. So...here it is:

1/2 cup fruity olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
8 large cloves of unpeeled garlic, chopped (I peel mine anyway)
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, cored but unpeeled
2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes
Seasonings: 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds (I never have any), 3 pinches saffron OR 1/4 tsp. turmeric, and a 3- by 1-inch piece of dried orange peel (or 1/2 tsp. bottled dried peel...I never use orange peel either)
2 quarts liquid; fish stock or water plus bottled clam juice or chicken broth. (I've also used vegetable broth.)
Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in the kettle, add the onions and saute 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender but not brown. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings; simmer 3-4 minutes, then pour in the liquid. Salt lightly to taste and boil slowly, loosely covered, for 45 minutes. Strain, pressing juices out of the ingredients, and return the resulting liquid to the pan. Taste carefully for seasoning.

That's the official recipe. What I do is add my celery to the onions. I use two cans of tomatoes (not the large cans and if they are whole, you can cut 'em up yourself). I also use a huge can of clams from Costco. You can eyeball it and put in whatever you want. But for the part of the recipe that says 2 quarts of liquid? I use a pyrex measuring cup and pour in juice from the can of clams and the tomato juice; I make up the rest with packaged broth but I'm sure you could use bouillon cubes, too. After I have cooked it for 45 minutes, I add the clams. I never press any juices out. OMG it Thank you, Julia.

[Charski]

Boy that sounds so good. I prefer NE clam chowder but I can see using this base as a wonderful cioppino-style fish stew. Crab, chunks of sea bass and/or salmon, shrimp, clams and/or mussels in the shell....YUM YUM and thank you very much!

[Maeve]

Heck yeah...it's an excellent base. I'll see about that Rockefeller later...

[Charski]

Thanks!!

[PaminKY]

My husband would love this. It's very similar to the Scalloped Oysters he makes during the holidays.

[buttoni]

Your 2004 stew recipe is pretty much how I make mine, but I use ch. green onion in lieu of the parsley. Never have put Worcestershire in mine. That intrigues me indeed, Maeve. But ever since we left the Galveston area with fresh oysters, I don't cook them much up here in Central Texas. The jarred oysters they sell here just aren't as good IMO. Really miss that fresh seafood on the Gulf Coast.

Just printed out your Mediterranean Soup Base recipe. Sounds GOOD! Again, the saffron and turmeric really intrigue me in that one. Would like to try this.

[Maeve]

Glad everyone likes my recipe. I must say, it is so good. Garlicky! And clammy!

As far as the Oysters Rockefeller recipe goes, I have many but all of them call for either Pernod or Absinthe. Yeck...not going there. I'm positive that none of the ones I've eaten have that in them. I'll check a few other recipes out. If you could see my cookbook collection I know darn well they don't all use that. That's the fancy pants versions! But as soon as I find one, I will post it.

Hope everyone has a good day.

[buttoni]

I think most recipes for OR have a bit of Pernod, Absinthe or Sambucca in them (which I don't care for much either, Maeve). But often as little as a teaspoon to a tablespoon, which wouldn't be all that discernible in a large batch.

Man, when I lived on Galveston Island, we ate at Gaidos Seafood and ordered Oysters Rockefeller all the time. Don't know if THEY put the alcohol in theirs or not, but they sure were good! I've never cooked them at home however. But I DO love me some OR!

[Charski]

The place here that makes the BEST OR does use a bit of Pernod. I've asked them. They also pulverize cooked bacon into an almost-powder and use that with the spinach. They top theirs with a spoonful of hollandaise and a tiny bit of black caviar (the little bitty egg type, like tobiko only black) and it is the BEST.

Sometimes they do them half oysters/half scallops. MMMMM!

[Maeve]

I want some right now, dammit!

[graciejean]

I believe I could live off of oystres any way you do them,even raw.

[buttoni]

LOL This thread is making me hungry, too, Maeve. It's 12:25 and I'm off to fix lunch!

[graciejean]

I believe I could live off of oysters any way you do them,even raw.

[Maeve]

Hahaha...I may have to improvise later, for dinner. I bought a big bag of spinach yesterday and while I don't have any oysters, I DO happen to have a bag of frozen shrimp!

[Maeve]

OH YES! Raw, steamed, etc., etc. Anyway you can get 'em!

[Charski]

MMMMM shrimp Rockefeller!

[Barbo]

I don't even like oysters, but my mom used to make oyster stew.
I miss her and was thinking about how she would eat this by herself.
Me and Daddy didn't like fishy soup.
About a week ago I bought two glass jars of oysters, some
clams in juice, some Dover sole, heavy whipping cream
and said I am going to make
some LC oyster stew, soup or whatever.

Now I have a basic recipe, thanks to you all
Peggy, when my daughter lived in Bay City, Texas, we
all would go down to Galveston, and did we eat well.
I bet you do miss it. Lets sing Galveston oh Galveston....

[Linny]

Hi Maeve, nice to see you back here on LCF. I am heading to a specialty store today in hopes to find some fresh oysters. Where I live, its hard to get the good stuff.

Do any of you girls have a good She-Crab soup recipe that I could incorporate into LC? I would fly into Savannah, GA just to get a bowl but I think my hubby would be mad that I didn't bring him

[Pompom2]

wow.. this sounds very very good.. might have to make it soon.. thank you

[buttoni]

Originally Posted by Barbo

Peggy, when my daughter lived in Bay City, Texas, we
all would go down to Galveston, and did we eat well.
I bet you do miss it. Lets sing Galveston oh Galveston....

Yes, Galveston seafood DID spoil me indeed, Barbo. Especially the oysters and sweet, Blue crab at Gaido's restaurant on the seawall! I've really missed the plentiful and tasty seafood since moving up here to Central Texas 10 years ago. But most islanders never much liked the Glen Campbell song, so I won't join in on that one.