The anise flavor of fennel infuses the whole-milk base and works wonderfully with the oysters.
Whole milk and butter make an oyster stew that's just rich enough without being heavy.
I have a playlist on my computer titled "Snow Songs," which I put together many years ago while snowflakes as big as cotton balls drifted slowly past my apartment windows. The tracks on it are all wildly different, but each manages to capture, at least to my ear, the soothing calm that comes with such a soft, heavy snowfall. On it is Caetano Veloso's rendition of the Mexican ballad"Cucurrucucú Paloma,"followed by Chaka Khan's piano-backed love song"Love Me Still."After that comes Erik Satie'sTrois Gymnopédies, composed in 1888, and Led Zeppelin's"The Rain Song,"which maybe should have been called TheSnowSong. Each, in its own way, is both spare yet comforting—perhaps it's no accident that we describe snow as forming a blanket, a word that conjures nothing but coziness.
If I could pick just one dish to accompany that playlist, it would be oyster stew.
You'll see a lot of different oyster stew recipes out there. Some are thickened with flour, or enriched with cream, or flavored with bits of smoky bacon that make you think of a smoldering fire with every bite. Those are all good, but they're not quite the type I have in mind. The kind I want—the kind I find most comforting—is a little more lean, even verging on austere.
Now, don't run away just yet. This isn't some ascetic version of oyster stew made with skim milk or anything horrible like that. It's rich in its own way, thanks to a generous amount of butter and whole milk—that's the comforting part. But it's clean, too, unencumbered by pork fat and flour, allowing the oysters to deliver their full flavor of frigid, briny sea.
As you'll see here, oyster stew is really more of a soup, in the way a lot of fish stews are. It's not slow-cooked in the least. In fact, it's one of the quickest soups I know.
I start by dicing aromatic vegetables, like onion, celery, and fennel if I have it. If I don't, I'll add a splash of Pernod right before adding the milk later.
Then I melt a generous pat of butter in a saucepan and cook the diced vegetables in it. A few sprigs of thyme or a bay leaf deepens the flavor. As soon as the vegetables are softened, but not even remotely browned, I add the milk and bring the mixture just to a simmer.
You can shuck the oysters yourself, if you're up for it (if so, take a look atour guide to shucking, or check out the video below).
If not, you can use one of those pop-top tubs of pre-shucked fresh oysters that most fishmongers sell. In cooked dishes, a lot of the finer nuances of freshly shucked oysters are lost anyway, so you won't be making much of a sacrifice in terms of flavor.
I cook the oysters, still at a bare simmer, just until they've firmed up and their edges curl. It doesn't take more than a few minutes.
A little salt, a little pepper, some fresh herbs—parsley, fennel fronds, tarragon, and chives all work—and it's ready. It's not thick like aclam chowder, or hearty like abeef stew, but a steamy bowl manages to soothe in its own perfectly restrained way. Snowstorm not required.
Minced parsley, chives, tarragon, and/or fennel fronds, for garnish
Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots, fennel, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme or bay leaf.
Add milk and bring to a bare simmer. Add oysters and their liquor and return to a bare simmer; adjust heat as necessary to prevent boiling. Simmer until oysters are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Discard thyme or bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, garnish with herbs, and serve.
Special Equipment
Large saucepan
Notes
If you don't have fennel, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of Pernod, added just before the milk.
If you don't want to shuck your own oysters, feel free to use pre-shucked fresh ones (along with their liquor) from your fishmonger.
Read More
Oyster Mythbusting: Debunking 5 Common Misconceptions
Oyster stew came to this country with Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine. Catholic tradition banned meat on Christmas Eve so many Irish families ate a soup or stew of fish. Oysters were substituted for fish and it became a traditional Christmas dish for many, whether Irish or not.
Allow the oyster stew to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
The reason why the dairy in the stew is curdling is because the oysters have an enzyme that, through a chemical reaction, will affect the proteins within the milk. The way to fix this is to temper the milk and oysters to the same temperature and to remember to add the oysters to the milk,not the other way around.
Leftover oyster stew will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days, in an airtight container. How to reheat leftovers. Gently reheat leftover stew on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Stephanie Butler, however, gives an alternate explanation: Irish Catholic immigrants would not eat meat on Christmas Eve, and were used to eating stew made with ling instead. Butler suggests that "oysters taste pretty similar to dried ling: they're salty, briny and can be quite chewy.
Slurping, not chewing is a myth too frequently attached to oyster eating. Use a tiny fork to release the oyster, then pick up the shell and slurp down the oyster, chewing once or twice before swallowing. If you don't chew it, you won't experience the full flavor.
Conversation. @foodiefare Sorry, but our Condensed Oyster Stew is discontinued. We hope you will check out bit.ly/condensedsoup to find a new favorite!
USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. There are two different families of bacteria: pathogenic bacteria, the kind that cause foodborne illness, and spoilage bacteria, the kind of bacteria that cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.
We're often asked, “Are you supposed to chew oysters?” and we're here to tell you that despite what you may have heard, it's not recommended to swallow an oyster whole. Biting into the oyster allows flavorful juices to escape and enhances the overall savoring experience.
Oyster liquor is the natural juice that you find inside of raw oysters. This liquor is very important as it keeps the oyster alive when it's out of the water. Don't rinse or dump the liquor out though before you eat it—it is what keeps those oysters fresh.
Slang. a closemouthed or uncommunicative person, especially one who keeps secrets well. something from which a person may extract or derive advantage: The world is my oyster.
A report from BBC Science Focus says that when your bolognese, stew or curry is sitting on the shelf in your fridge, it's getting more flavoursome by the minute even though it's no longer on the stove, because the ingredients are still marinating and breaking down like they would in a super slow cook.
Oyster stew comes together quickly, and is best made and then eaten. You can reheat leftovers very gently on the stove, but it just won't be quite as nice. I do not recommend freezing it, as the cream gets all weird, and the oysters' texture suffers.
Canned oysters are a good source of nutrients that support the immune system. They contain zinc, which is essential for the development and function of immune cells. Zinc also helps to fight off infections and reduce inflammation in the body.
The world's oldest known evidence of stew was found in Japan, dating to the Jōmon period. Amazonian tribes used the shells of turtles as vessels, boiling the entrails of the turtle and various other ingredients in them.
The origins of Irish stew are somewhat shrouded in mystery, but it's believed to have originated in the 17th or 18th century. At that time, the dish was often made by shepherds and rural farmers who had access to only a few ingredients but needed a nourishing meal to sustain them through long days of work.
Most of the time, you'll see oysters or clams served on a bed of crushed iced with lemon wedges, hot sauce, and a mignonette sauce (more on this later!).
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Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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