Oyster Stew

By mimikd

A Christmas Eve tradition!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 (8 ounces) containers freshly shucked oysters, undrained
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add celery and shallots; cook until shallots are tender.

2. Add milk and half-and-half; stir well. When mixture is almost boiling, add oysters and their liquid. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir constantly until oysters curl at their edges. When oysters curl, the stew is done; turn off the heat and serve with oyster crackers.