An annual, holiday favorite for our family, oysters are a food I never experienced until I moved to the east coast and married Mike whose family has lived in Virginia for generations. Raised in the midwest by an assembly line worker for Ford Motor Company back in the recession of the 70's, we didn't eat out at restaurants that served oysters and we certainly didn't have the money to buy them to cook ourselves. Fried oysters really are not a favorite of mine, but the first time I had oyster stew, I fell in love with the taste of the oysters surrounded by rich cream and butter. Having our own dairy cows, I think fresh milk and cream and butter makes this dish even better. I tend to make it with straight cream instead of half and half like the original recipes states because I'm sinful that way. Oyster stew is simple to make but elegant on the table.
Enjoy~!
Oyster Stew
2 green onions sliced thin (or I substitute approximately 1/4 cup of finely grated sweet onion such as Candy, Vidalia, Texas Sweet, etc.)
2 Tablespoons of butter
16 ounces of fresh oysters with liquid (Original recipe calls for 12 ounces of oysters with liquid)
1 quart of heavy cream (Original recipe calls for 1 quart of half and half)
1/4 teaspoon of salt.
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Parsley for garnish
Saute onions in butter and then add oysters minus the liquid (reserve liquid). Stir oysters until they just begin to curl around the edges. Be careful as you do not want to overcook them. (Many recipes call for you to simply add the oysters to your cream and other ingredients and heat until they just begin to curl. Either way is fine, but I prefer to cook them slightly in the butter first.) Combine your oyster/onion/butter mixture with the cream, salt, pepper and liquid off the oysters. Heat on a low heat until hot but not boiling. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.