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| Ingredients for oyster stew. |
Having oyster stew on Christmas Eve is a long-standing tradition in our family. I doubt there has been a Christmas Eve since I was a child that I've not had oyster stew. My father always made the oyster stew when I was growing up. I remember he would get the oysters at the Ora Mill Supermarket near the Dover Mill Village. The oysters came in a pint sized cylindrical waxed (probably with paraffin) paper container that had a top cover that slipped down over the bottom part. That would be enough for the four of us. My sister didn't like the oysters, but she did like the oyster-flavored broth.
My recipe for oyster stew for two:
One pint of fresh oysters (don't use canned oysters)
One pint of half and half or whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place oysters and their liquid in a heavy saucepan and heat until the edges of the oysters curl. Do NOT bring to a boil. Heat to just below boiling point. Boiling will make the oysters tough.
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| Heat until edges of oysters curl. Don't boil. |
Add one pint of half and half. (I always use half and half for this recipe. In most cases we use skim milk at our house, but I ALWAYS use half and half for oyster stew.)
Heat to just below boiling point. (Again do not let this come to a boil.)
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| Heat to just below boiling point. |
Add 2 tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste.
Yields: two servings
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| Delicious oyster stew. |
Oyster stew is on the menu for our Christmas Eve dinner tonight as usual. Since I left home, I've made oyster stew every Christmas Eve, so my children always expect oyster stew and they are never disappointed. My grandchildren have not yet developed a taste for it, but I'm betting they will as they get older.
Expecting ten, perhaps eleven, for dinner tonight. Can't wait to play "dirty Santa gift exchange."
