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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Oysters don’t have to be reserved for appetizer dishes! This chowder-like stew, full of vegetables and cream, will give you a whole new viewpoint on these briny little morsels.
For more great recipes utilizing oysters, why not make some Oyster Dressing? Or go fancy and make some Oysters Rockefeller instead? Serve your oyster stew with some Classic Homemade Garlic Bread, a big loaf of chewy sourdough, or a crispy French baguette.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This stew recipe is very easy and shouldn’t require too much clean up afterwards because it’s made in one pot!
- Total Time: This recipe will take you approximately 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: Modifying this much will make it more of a chowder or a soup, but you can adjust the seasonings to your own personal preference. Add extra hot sauce or none at all. Why not try making some Cajun Seasoning or Shrimp Seasoning to add to your stew? You can also reduce or increase the amount of fat by changing what cream you use.
- Tools Needed: For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot, a cutting board, a sharp knife, and your preferred stirring utensil.
What You’ll Need For Ingredients
Oysters: No need to go track down fresh oysters for this recipe. Canned oysters (in brine, not oil) will be perfect. If you don’t have a specific type in mind, try rock oysters. Make sure to keep the briny liquid from the can to add into the stew.
Vegetables: This stew uses the classic combination of onions, celery, and bell peppers (called “The Holy Trinity” in Cajun/Creole cooking) which gives a rich flavour base to many soups and stews. Starchy russet potatoes add thickness and enhance the creamy texture of the stew.
Seasonings: While this recipe calls for basics like salt, pepper, garlic, and some Louisiana-style hot sauce, you can modify the flavours to your heart’s content. If you want more heat, add more hot sauce or something spicier. Try a Cajun seasoning or anything within the realms of Cajun and Creole cuisine.
How To Make Oyster Stew
This is a brief overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Melt the butter in a large pot (saucepan) over medium heat. Add chopped celery, peppers, onion and potato. Cook for 8 minutes, until soft. Add the minced garlic.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir to coat and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Stir in the half-and-half cream. Add the parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture just to a simmer and add the chopped oysters and the liquid from the oyster can. Add hot sauce, if desired.
- Keep stew at a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Do Not Boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Oyster Stew
Creamy: While half-and-half cream will obviously give you the richest, silkiest consistency for this soup, it’s not mandatory. The starchiness of the potatoes will add a lot of texture and you can use a lower-percentage cream or even milk in this stew. On the other hand, if you want to boost that creamy factor, you can use a higher-percentage cream like whipping cream. Play with the amounts and see what you like best.
Accompaniments: This is a rich and substantial stew that will be filling on it’s own. You don’t necessarily need any sides. But, if you’d like to balance that richness with something a bit lighter, try serving a salad on the side. And don’t forget how amazing it feels to dip some crusty French bread or a slice of sourdough into a creamy soup!
Storage Instructions
Once it’s cooled, you can store the stew in a sealed container in your fridge for 2-3 days. While you can technically freeze it, the dairy components will likely separate a bit when it’s time to defrost, so don’t expect quite the same texture.
More Delicious Soup and Stew Recipes
Looking for more Soup & Stew recipes?
For something creamy and similar to this oyster stew, try New England Clam Chowder or some Seafood Chowder.
Make The Best Seafood Stock as a base for a variety of recipes.
Not into shellfish but still want to incorporate fish? Try a Fish Stew.
There, now you’ve got an easy and delicious way to use canned oysters. Try this recipe and let me know how you like it.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Oyster Stew
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup russet potato, grated
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 Liter cream, half and half
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper, pepper to taste
- One 12 ounce can whole oysters, coarsely chopped
- 2 dashes Louisiana-style hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until it begins to foam.
- Add your chopped celery, peppers, onion and potato to the pan, cooking for about 8 minutes until soft.
- Add the minced garlic to the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stir to coat and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Stir in the half-and-half cream and add the parsley to the vegetables.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the mixture just to a simmer and add the chopped oysters and the liquid from the can.
- Add the hot sauce if desired.
- Bring the mixture to a very light simmer again, and cook for 10-15 minutes more. Do not boil.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the stew sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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