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Welcome to Thyme Flies, a place to find southern, and Cajun and Creole recipes as well as plain old home cooking.
It's also a place to spend a little thyme.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Lily's Oyster Stew
Oyster stew is a Louisiana staple, but is prepared and eaten everywhere the succulent sea creature is found. Like gumbo, there
are many variations, some heartier than others. Here is one of Lily’s versions. This recipe is included in Lily’s Little Cajun Cookbook, available in ebook format at Smashwords.com.
Ingredients 1 stick
butter 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, finely diced 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, plus more to taste 2 pints oysters (with liquor), drained and liquor reserved 1 quart seafood stock 1 10-ounce
can of tomatoes, pureed 1 quart half-and-half ¼ cup white wine or brandyGarlic croutons
Directions
In a large 2-gallon stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add
garlic, onion and carrot and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent. Add 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning and
stir to combine. Add oyster liquor, seafood stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes. Add half-and-half and
bring back to a simmer. Add oysters and cook until their edges begin to curl. Add wine or brandy and adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve immediately in hot soup bowls garnished with croutons, green onions, parsley and paprika.
Lily, my former
mother-in-law was a church-going lady and I don’t think a drop of liquor ever crossed her lips. Still, she loved to
cook and she loved to entertain. When members of her large family dropped by, (an everyday occurrence) she would often steam
up a batch of oysters. Here is her simple, yet wonderful recipe.
Lily’s Steamed OystersIngredients
·4 doz. Oysters
·1 Tbsp. butter
·Salt and pepper to taste
·Dash cayenne
Preparation
Drain the oysters
in their shells and put them in a bamboo steamer over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for ten minutes. Place in a
hot dish and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Serve with drawn butter sauce and eat while very hot to enjoy the entire
flavor.
I grew up eating my Mother's home cooking. I didn't know that we were poor, but we were - moneywise, that is.
We never missed a meal, and, as I look back, I now see that everyone was a culinary masterpiece. That's what we're after
here - the realization that simpler is sometimes (if not always) best.
Please check out Eric Wilder's book Murder Etouffee for the best Cajun and Creole recipes, and so much more!
Oyster stew is a Louisiana staple, but is prepared and eaten everywhere the succulent sea creature is found. Like gumbo, there
are many variations, some heartier than others. Here is one of Lily’s versions. This recipe is included in 
