Oyster Stew is creamy, buttery and sooo delicious. This is a perfect winter warmer that you’ll want to come back to again and again.
And it’s so easy. Just a few little tips and you’ll be cooking this like a pro.
This traditional winter meal, so famous on the east coast, is about to become a new family favorite!
We love our soups and stews at GypsyPlate. Jambalaya soup… zuppa Toscana… albondigas soup… Greek fasolada… and so many more. We just can’t get enough of those cozy bowls!
Today, we’re bringing you a real classic, Oyster Stew!
What is Oyster Stew?
Oyster stew is a very simple concoction with three main ingredients: butter, milk or cream, and oysters. Personally, I would consider it more of a soup than a stew, but don’t ask me, I’m just a food blogger!
It’s traditionally eaten around Thanksgiving in New England, whereas in the South it’s often served on Christmas Eve.
There are two competing theories of how the Christmas Eve tradition started…
One theory has to do with when people living far from the coast had access to oysters before refrigerated transportation. When temperatures dipped and oysters could be safely transported inland, they became a symbol of the arrival of the winter holiday season.
The other theory believes that Irish Catholic immigrants would not eat meat on Christmas Eve, and were used to eating ling fish stew instead. Finding oyster similar to ling fish, they made the switch to oyster stew.
Whenever you decide to eat it, this is one delicious soup… stew!
Check out our collection of favorite Stew Recipes!
Here’s a little trivia: In addition to the U.S., oyster stew is also very popular in Gamibia.
Ingredients for Oyster Stew
- Fresh oysters – The stars. You can usually find them already shucked in the seafood aisle of your local grocery store.
- Butter – This adds a lot of flavors.
- Milk or cream
- Seasonings
Some tips for perfect Oyster Stew
- Use freshly shucked oysters if you can get them. If they are unavailable, you can usually find fresh oysters packed in water in the seafood section of your grocery store.
- Reserve the oyster liquid. Known as “liquor”, it adds a lot of flavor to the broth.
- Allow the milk to come to room temperature, before adding to the pot.
- Be patient. Keep the heat on low. Do not let the milk boil or it can curdle.
How to make Oyster Stew
Heat half of the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté till it gets translucent. Add in garlic and sauté until it starts to get fragrant.
Reduce heat to low and add in milk, cream and seasonings. Cook until mixture is hot and steaming, but not boiling. This should take about 10.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add in oysters and liquor and cook until oysters begin to curl around the edges.
Transfer the oyster mixture into the hot milk. Stir everything together nicely and serve.
Garnishing options: fresh chopped parsley, green onions, hot sauce, oyster crackers or saltine crackers.
Check out our collection of favorite Seafood Recipes!
What to serve with Oyster Stew
It is often served as a starter, along with oyster crackers. If serving as a main, I love it with some nice crusty bread for sopping up the liquid, and maybe a fresh salad on the side.
Try this classic oyster stew in your own home. It’s creamy, cozy and oh so satisfying. When you cook this, please leave a comment and star rating, I love hearing from you.
Oyster Stew, on my Gyspy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other cozy soups and stews!
Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup
Brunswick Stew
Chicken Paprikash
Loaded Cauliflower Soup
Creamy Tuscan Soup
Dublin Coddle
Oyster Stew
This creamy, buttery, flavorful Oyster Stew is a holiday tradition in parts of the country. But it's so good you'll want it any time!
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp butter, divided
- 2 green onions, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2.5 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 12oz fresh oysters
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté till it gets translucent. Add in garlic and sauté until it starts to get fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low and add in milk, cream and seasonings. Cook until mixture is hot and steaming, but not boiling. This should take about 10.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add in oysters and liquor and cook until oysters begin to curl around the edges.
- Transfer the oyster mixture into the hot milk. Stir everything together nicely and serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 316Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 118mgSodium 266mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 6gProtein 15g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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