Oyster Stew

We have a tradition on Saturday when the weather turns cold. I make oyster stew.

Not just any oysters will do. They must be Virginia Chesapeake oysters. Chesapeake oysters are small and very naturally briny.

My first stop for oysters yielded only Gulf of Mexico oysters. No thanks. They don’t taste as good and frankly I prefer not to eat seafood from the discharge of the mighty Mississippi River.

They also had Washington State oysters. These oysters are very mild and virtually tasteless. This does not make good oyster stew.

Ah, finally Lowes foods had jars of fresh Virginia oysters. I bought a pint and a half gallon of whole milk.

Now slowly combine the milk, oysters, butter, salt and pepper and simmer it for a hour.

Gigi could eat a gallon of the stuff. She is making yummy sounds now.

Today I found a tiny little pearl in my stew. I always get the pearls. Maybe Gigi does too but I bet she swallows them.

4 comments:

Logzie said...

Ok...I don't know much about Oysters...and maybe I am showing my naiveness...(Ali, I looked that word up on google to make sure I spelled it correctly...Just for you!)...but did you really find a pearl in your stew??

Reggie Hunnicutt said...

Oh yeah. I seem to find a pearl every time I eat oysters. It makes Gigi mad. It was tiny, a little bigger that a pin head and it was round but tan in color. You never find the big old pretty ones but I do find the ugly ones all the time.

Ali said...

LOL, thanks for thinking of me Logziella!
Reggie, do you keep all the little pearls you find - even thought they're ugly?

Reggie Hunnicutt said...

No we don't keep the pearls. Gigi calls them booger pearls. She is looking for the one I found today just now. Want me to mail or photograph if? I'll post the picture.