The Apalachicola Seafood Festival is the largest and longest-running seafood festival in Florida, and it’s always the first weekend of November. So in honor of the awesome Apalachicola oyster, here’s my favorite way to cook some up when I’ve had my fill of raw ones.  I wanted an over-the-top comfort food oyster stew and this is what I came up with.  Don’t let the list of ingredients intimidate you - it actually goes together quite quickly.

2 slices bacon, diced
1/2 C butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T Wondra flour
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 healthy pinch of cayenne
1/2 t dried thyme
1 8-oz. bottle clam juice
1/4 C dry sherry
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
16 oz. shucked oysters with their liquor
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C parsley, finely chopped

• Saute diced bacon in a non-stick soup pot over low heat until rendered.  Add butter and heat until melted.
• Add onions, celery and garlic and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasinally, until translucent, taking care not to let them brown.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, pinch of cayenne, thyme and Wondra flour or other fine white flour, whisking steadily to make a light roux.  Cook, whisking steadily, for several minutes.
• Slowly whisk in clam juice, whisking until smooth, then sherry, again whisking until smooth.
• Whisk in cream, whisking until smooth, then whisk in evaporated milk, whisking until smooth.  Raise heat slightly, stir while bringing just to where it starts to boil, then quickly lower the heat and whisk until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in oysters with their liquor, several dashes of Worcestershire sauce and the chopped parsley.
• Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until oysters curl at the edges indicating they are heated through.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS