Oyster stew is a very simple and rich soup with the key ingredient in the soup being oysters. The stew can be cooked with either canned oysters or fresh ones, depending on whatever is available, and the oyster stew is made by minimal cooking, making it simple and quick to prepare. This stew is especially popular along the East coat of America, although it is found in lots of other regions too.
Oyster stew history is quite an interesting and colorful one. It may be a surprise for you to learn that the oyster stews were considered a poor man’s food once upon a time. During the early days of the inception of oyster chowder into traditional food, oysters were very abundant and were subsequently extremely cheap. Even extremely poor families could afford to buy at least a few dozen or so oysters, above all for a Sunday indulgence of oyster stew. However, just like other presently coveted seafood like crabs and lobsters, oysters, which were once a great deal larger and much more abundant, have now become scarce and expensive due to very heavy fishing and a bigger population of people.
The beauty of oyster recipes lies in their simplicity. In order to make oyster stews, you need to saute twelve ounces or 340 grams oysters in a little amount of butter for a few moments, before you add one liter of milk, more butter, cream, or half-and-half butter. This stew is then cooked at low heat for some time. When the oysters begin to curl, they it are removed from heat and put in wide bowls which are then served, typically with oyster crackers.
Most of the people prefer to add a little salt to the oyster stew, along with paprika at times and cracked black pepper as well. Skilled and innovative cooks and chefs may add a few slivers of green onion or a few shallots to the oyster stew inside the sauté pan along with the oysters. In some regions cooks and chefs may also include sliced bacon. On the other hand, interference with the milk based ouster stew is generally not advised, as your goal should be to allow the flavor and fragrance of the oyster stew to shine inviting and mind blowing to taste, setting your taste buds on a dance of pleasure. The flavor of the canned oyster stew can be quickly and effectively overwhelmed with the use of added ingredients in the stew.