OYSTER STEW
This delicious stew is hearty and full of flavor. Ingredients: 2 knobs of butter (about 4 tablespoons) 1 leek, finely chopped 1 Yellow Finn potato 2 cups whole milk or heavy cream Thyme leaves 6 fresh oysters Pinch of paprika Salt and pepper to taste Splash of sherry
Oysters shimmer on a bed of rock salt; the fruits of the sea, oyster stew, as photographed by Gwendolyn Meyer for her forthcoming book, Oyster Culture. (www.oysterculturebook.com).
people. Learning how to chop not one onion, but several, to make a large pot of soup, enough to feed the army of friends, family, and employees that she catered to nightly. She taught me how to sauté the onions in butter and olive oil until they were translucent and lightly browned, before adding the other ingredients, simmering until the vegetables were just soft and the flavors melded. As with most of her cooking, she went at it simply, adding ingredients by the handful, tasting as she went, adding a pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper to finish. And yet, with all the delicious meals my grandmother made, all the vintage trays of vegetable relishes she set out at the table, the saltines with cold pats of salted butter she served, the bowls of hearty soup on a chilly day—warm as love—when asked if it is possible, as MFK Fisher does in her slim book Consider The Oyster, that someone might have never enjoyed the pleasure of a Sunday night supper in winter, when crackers are served with a steaming, creamy oyster stew, I realize, I never had. Until now. ◆
Procedure: Melt a healthy knob of butter in a saucepot and add 1 finely chopped leek, the white parts only. When the leeks begin to soften, add 1 peeled and diced Yellow Finn potato. Add 2 cups whole milk (or use heavy cream for a richer stew), a pinch of salt and a few thyme leaves. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender. Add no less than 6 freshly shucked oysters with their liquor. Cook, stirring on occasion, until the oysters plump and begin to curl around the edges, about 5 minutes tops. Add a pinch of paprika and freshly ground black pepper to taste, along with another knob of butter. Stir to combine, then pour into bowls and serve immediately. A splash of sherry to finish makes it very fine. Serves 2.
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