Oyster Stew with Bone Broth

Homemade Oyster stew

We were exposed to a bug last week via friends who didn’t know that they were contagious at the time, so I’ve been bumping up our vitamin C, D, spice and probiotic consumption.  To get a natural dose of zinc, which has also been proven effective at boosting your immune system, I made up a batch of oyster stew.

When I was a little girl, we usually had oyster stew only once a year, on Christmas Eve.  Here in the Midwest, fresh oysters have just started showing up for the holiday season.  I used canned today, because that’s what I had in the house, but fresh are great if you can get them.  This recipe uses bone broth made from chicken to take advantage of chicken’s natural decongestant properties.

Oyster Stew with Bone Broth Recipe

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped (one small or 1/2 large onion)
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

1/3 cup flour
2 carrots, finely chopped

4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
16 ounces oysters, canned or fresh
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Directions

Melt butter in a soup pot, add in the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots and sauté until crisp tender.  Add flour.  Mix well until the flour is cooked into the vegetables.

Add your chicken broth and parsley. Mix well.

Add oysters.  If canned, heat through, if raw, simmer gently until edges start to curl, about 3-5 minutes.  Don’t overcook or they will get rubbery.

Reduce heat and add cream, curry, pepper and turmeric. Stir until blended.  Cover and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Do not boil, or the cream will curdle.  This soup reheats well and is even more flavorful the second day.  Promptly refrigerate leftovers.  Serves 8-10 people.

Does your family have a favorite soup or stew that you serve around the holidays?