Oyster Stew

Christmas is coming. You may already be aware of this. What you might not know is that a bowl of oyster stew is a Christmas eve tradition in many parts of the country and any oysters that survive the stew demand to go into the goose's stuffing. If this isn't your family's tradition, the solution is to try it once, and thereafter you'll be with the program.

D2D oyster stew is fairly simple. Get 2 pints of glassed (oysters in a jar). Pick the oysters out with a small spoon, leaving the liquor behind. Poach them in 4 tablespoons of butter. (non-salted is best, clarified or regular is fine) Do not overcook or overheat, erasers in cream isn't what we're looking for here. In another pan, heat 1 quart half & half. Decant the liquor, leaving any grit behind, and add to milk. Just bring this to heat, do not boil. Combine the two pans, balance with S&P, garnish and serve.

Notes: The dish needs to be adjusted to the season. In summer, a lighter broth might be in order. Bottled clam juice or a fumet will lighten the broth and add flavor (shy away from the paste kind, it has way more salt than you want) , or the simple expedient of using milk to replace some half & half. Heat can be added with cayenne or hot sauce. A sense of place helps here, in the north, mace or nutmeg are common additions, in the Carolinas hot sauce is preferred due to the vinegar content, and the deep south seems to like cayenne i.e. straight heat without the extra components. In the fall and winter, you can add vegetables to make it more of a chowder. Cubed potatoes are a New England favorite (as long as the potatoes are in your bowl and the oysters in mine, I'm ok with it) Corn has a long history and strikes a good balance quickly. I'm not personally too keen on celery. The texture doesn't mesh well. If you want the flavor, I think the dish is better served with celery salt. I've seen fresh spinach used, but havn't tried it. Green onions are a shoo-in, as are minced shallots. As for black vs. white pepper, fresh ground black is better. The usual schtick of white in cream doesn't really apply here. Oyster crackers are o.k. and easy, but if you have a second to pan fry some croutons (very light garlic), then treat yourself. On the chance you have some fresh cornbread, well life is good.

Now a stew that's meant for a celebration. (like Christmas eve) This one is from Antoine's in the French quarter, NOL. I've pretty much mirrored the recipe straight from an old cookbook I own, and found again on the web.

• 50 medium oysters, such as bluepoints, shucked (about 1 1⁄2 lbs.), with 1 cup of the liquor reserved
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 4 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup finely chopped curly parsley
• 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 cups milk, 2 cups heavy cream

1. Combine oyster liquor with 1 cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the oysters and simmer until their edges just begin to curl, about 2 minutes. Strain oysters through a fine sieve set over a medium bowl. Reserve oysters and cooking liquid separately. Heat butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add celery, garlic, onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until onions and celery are very soft, about 25 minutes... 2. Stir in milk, cream, and reserved oysters with their cooking liquid and cook, stirring occasionally, until just hot, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes: The roux is the key, of course. I suspect those of us who haven't been working the line in Antoine's since age 11 might need more than 3 to 4 minutes to bring the roux up. If the parsley looks like it's going to shed too much green into the cream, a quick fix is to wrap it in a kitchen towel, run it under some cold water, and squeeze it out. Oddly what isn't mentioned is the addition of a splash of pernod (after you've finished the roux, please) And remember, with any fresh shellfish, you need to keep the batch tag, and use plenty of ice and the appropriate sanitation precautions. And speaking of having a lot of raw oysters around, the secret summons is "cooks treat". After all, they do need to be checked.