Comfort Food, Part I (McIntire's Oyster Stew)
The classic oyster stew recipe that you find in most cookbooks tends to be very simple--usually variations on a combo of oysters, butter, plus milk or cream. While these are pretty tasty, I always wanted an oyster stew with more texture and complexity of flavor. Here's what I've come up with:
Saute a couple cloves of garlic (crushed) and a whole sweet onion (Vidalia or somesuch), chopped, until tender. I use a tablespoon of good olive oil, with about a tablespoon of butter. Once the onion and garlic are ready, add about 8 ounces of oysters, with the oyster liquor. Fresh are best, but canned will do in a pinch or off-season. Once they just barely begin to boil, add about 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half. (Whole milk works almost as well.) Season with plenty of ground pepper. I don't add salt, but you might want to. Let simmer for a few minutes, without boiling, stirring very gently. Serve with crushed Ritz crackers. If you want to de-emphasize the oyster aspect, use more half-and-half. This is no sort of health food, but on a cold winter evening, it tastes pretty darn good. This should serve two people as a main course, or four as an appetizer, but usually at my house it is wolfed down by one hungry composer all by himself.
Update: My sister has helpfully pointed out that this recipe omits chopped celery—an essential texure ingredient; this is an egregious oversight on my part. I'd use a cup or so, and sauté with the garlic for a few moments, then add the onion. More accurate quantities will be posted after I make a batch or two.
Saute a couple cloves of garlic (crushed) and a whole sweet onion (Vidalia or somesuch), chopped, until tender. I use a tablespoon of good olive oil, with about a tablespoon of butter. Once the onion and garlic are ready, add about 8 ounces of oysters, with the oyster liquor. Fresh are best, but canned will do in a pinch or off-season. Once they just barely begin to boil, add about 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half. (Whole milk works almost as well.) Season with plenty of ground pepper. I don't add salt, but you might want to. Let simmer for a few minutes, without boiling, stirring very gently. Serve with crushed Ritz crackers. If you want to de-emphasize the oyster aspect, use more half-and-half. This is no sort of health food, but on a cold winter evening, it tastes pretty darn good. This should serve two people as a main course, or four as an appetizer, but usually at my house it is wolfed down by one hungry composer all by himself.
Update: My sister has helpfully pointed out that this recipe omits chopped celery—an essential texure ingredient; this is an egregious oversight on my part. I'd use a cup or so, and sauté with the garlic for a few moments, then add the onion. More accurate quantities will be posted after I make a batch or two.
posted by david d. mcintire at 8:50 AM
1 Comments:
Did you ever make a batch or two? My great grandmother--who is a McIntyre--used to make oyster stew when my mom was a child but no recipe actually exists so I'd be interested in seeing what you came up with as I'd like to make it for my boyfriend.
Thank You,
reny
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