Oyster Stew

Oyster Stew by Deja Vu Cook

Guest Blogger: Kathleen of Deja Vu Cook 

When it is time for fish and shellfish stew and chowder I think of many places in New England and all the fabulous meals shared.  I grew up in Connecticut with all the relatives in Boston and many summers on Cape Cod, so those recipes share a special place in my heart and home.  “Oyster Stew” is always on the menu during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays for me.  This tradition started for me in Goshen, Connecticut in the mid-70s.  A couple friends of mine bought a 200-year-old salt-box in the Town of Goshen, Connecticut and I spent many happy holiday times with them through the years.  Oyster Stew was part of their tradition and immediately was adopted by me.  Oh, that was easy, I love oysters!   But it is also one of the first soups I make when the weather changes here in Florida.  Today is the third day I have my windows open so all the soup recipes are coming out of the cupboards.  

Oyster Stew
Ingredients:
16 0z. shucked oysters and their liquid
1/2 C. onion (diced)
1/2 C. celery (peeled and diced)
6 T. unsalted butter
1/2 t. worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 C – 2 C.  heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper (season to taste)
1-2 oz. dry sherry (optional)
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Pick through the oysters carefully removing any bits of shell
2. Place in a sauce pan with their liquid and 2 C. of water and heat til the oysters begin to curl
3. Remove and set aside, strain the liquid and set aside
4. Simmer the onion and celery in butter in a soup pot until tender (approx. 6 minutes)
5. Add the oyster liquid and heavy cream and heat “almost” to the boiling point, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Stir in the Worcestershire
7. Add the oysters and season to taste with pepper
8. Pour into warmed bowls and add (1 t. sherry to each bowl-Optional) 
9. Garnish with chopped parsley

(Serves 4)
(Compliments of John Totino, Architect)
Adapted from the book “Jasper White’s Cooking from New England” by Jasper White

To read more recipes by Kathleen, be sure to check out her blog, "Deja Vu" Cook.

Do you have a soup that you would like to contribute to Seriously Soupy? Email me at seriouslysoupy@gmail.com for more details!

Soup Recipe Exchange

Here in NYC, we were greeted with yet another blizzard. As the snow continues to fall and schools are closed, the only thing I could think of eating is a nice warm bowl of soup. Luckily, I still have some miso soup to get me through the day, but if those ingredients aren't handy, you can always refer to your cupboard and gather some leftover items to create a new soup. Another option is to test out some selections from this weeks soup recipe exchange-ranging from  coconut chicken curry soup, tortilla soup, and even a seafood soup that will surely warm you up and have you stocked up for the weekend.

1. Tortilla Soup with Pinto Beans- Crafted by Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, this meatless/dairy-free soup is a variation of a recipe from Eating Well magazine that FFVK changed around a bit. She used pinto beans instead of tofu, Mexican oregano instead of epizot, and doubled up the amount of beans in the dish. I also love how the soup includes kale, spinach, or chard and avocado for some added nutritional benefits.
2. Seafood Soup Amalfi-Style- Here at Seriously Soupy I haven't covered a fish soup...at least not as of yet. You see I'm a bit scared about attempting a soup of this nature, due to the vast amount of ingredients that are used and the intricacies of its preparation (at least that is what I always thought). However, after reading the seafood post on Leite's Culinaria I have very little to worry about, except following directions. Posted by Renee Schettler Rossi (of LC) the recipe includes how to make the actual fish broth (most important part) and its subsequent ingredients (fennel, leeks, canned tomatoes, fish bones, assorted fish fillets, white wine, etc). RR also notes that this type of soup can be "varied and used with any kind of shellfish such as mussels and clams."
3. Short Ribs Soup with Vegetables-Another ingredient that Seriously Soupy hasn't tried yet (meat) and its usage is in a short rib soup with veggies. Crafted by In My Kitchen, this soup was created from leftovers that began by removing the bones, adding fresh veggies from her garden, and tamarind soup mix to create an instant, and very filling meal-type of a soup.
4. Coconut Chicken Curry Soup -A guest post by Katie Goodman (goodLife {eats}) on This Week for Dinner, this chicken curry soup recipe features a unique combination of flavors (coconut milk, lime, jalapeño, and curry powder) and basic ingredients (chicken and jasmine rice) to create a healthy soup that is definitely a soup right up by alley. I am also really excited to test this one out as a variation on the same-old chicken dinner that the Seriously Soupy family knows too well.
5. Cream of Fennel Soup- Chef In You nailed it right on the head "Soups are easy to cook." Of course, there are some that require more intricate preparation or hard-to-locate ingredients, but in general this is true. One such simply soup, is her cream of fennel soup. Using a bulb of fennel (another ingredient I haven't tried...yet), curry spices, heavy cream, onion, and some butter-the veggies are pan cooked and then pureed to create-you guested it: a quick and easy soup.
6. Potatge (Winter Vegetable Soup)- An appropriate title, this soupy created by Simple Steps.org utilizes apples and various veggies (leeks, potatoes, carrots, turnips, artichokes, and onions), along with a chunk of cheese. That sounds amazing to me, but SS takes this one step further by boosting its flavors with thyme, bay leaves, pepper, garlic, and salt. The recipe even includes what tools to use such as the proper knife and wine and dessert pairing to complete the meal.

What soups have you tried or created this week?

Stay Warm
Seriously Soupy Serena