Description
A luxurious, velvety oyster stew that highlights briny fresh oysters in a creamy broth with subtle aromatics. Ready in under 30 minutes for an impressive appetizer or light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pint (about 18-24) fresh shucked oysters with their liquor
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small leek (white part only) or ½ cup diced onion
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Oyster crackers for serving
Instructions
- Drain oysters, reserving liquor. Check for shell fragments.
- Melt butter in heavy pot over medium-low heat. Sauté leek and celery 5 minutes until soft.
- Add reserved oyster liquor, milk, cream, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and paprika. Heat until steaming (do not boil).
- Add oysters and cook 3-5 minutes until edges curl. Immediately remove from heat.
- Season with salt and white pepper. Garnish with parsley.
- Serve hot with oyster crackers and extra Tabasco on the side.
Notes
- Key Tip: Never let the stew boil after adding oysters to prevent toughness.
- For thicker stew, make a roux with 1 tbsp flour during the butter sauté step.
- Substitute 1 cup clam juice for half the milk if you prefer bolder flavor.
- Day-old stew tastes even better – gently reheat on low.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Soup/Stew
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American (New England)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
