Spicy Oyster Stew has been a Christmas and New Year Tradition in many families for decades. It's rich, milky, buttery, surprisingly filling, and doesn't take long to make. The Christmas Eve tradition of eating oyster stew originates from the Irish Catholic community, in which meat was prohibited the night before Christmas.
The New Year's Eve tradition of Oyster Stew was due to the belief that eating oysters increases sex drive and fertility. That said, serve this on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and you'll have a wonderful holiday season!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
If you're looking for a new holiday recipe to replace your existing Oyster Stew tradition, you've come to the right place. This recipe is easy to make, spicy, rich, and soul-warming.
Ingredients
This is a straightforward recipe for Oyster Stew and can be even easier if you don't want it to be spicy. Omit the spicy ingredients and keep everything else as is. Either way, you'll have a delicious meal this coming holiday season.
Dairy: The dairy serves as the base for just about every oyster stew recipe. I used Butter, Whole Milk, and Heavy Cream for this recipe.
Oysters: Grab 16 oz of fresh oysters at your local grocery store. If you prefer, you can certainly cut the larger Oysters in half. Primarily, if you're serving this to someone who has never had oysters or is slightly put off by the size and texture, also be sure to reserve the liquid they come packed in. You'll be adding that to the milk and butter base.
Vegetables: The only vegetable I use in this recipe is finely diced onion.
Seasonings: These Oyster Stew seasonings and spices are entirely optional. However, if you are looking for a Spicy Oyster Stew recipe, this is how I do it. Fresh Garlic, Crushed Red Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Dried Parsley, and Tobasco combine to add extra flavor and heat to this dish.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat a Cast Iron Dutch Oven over medium-low heat and add the butter until it has melted.
Once the butter is melted, add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and translucent.
Now, add the garlic and continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Step 2: Stir in all the seasonings and spices, except for the dried parsley, sautéing for about another 2 minutes until everything is fragrant.
Step 3: Reduce the heat to low and add the milk, cream, and liquid from the oysters.
Slowly cook this mixture on low to medium-low until it steams. Don't bring it to a boil, or you risk curdling the milk and cream.
Step 4: Sprinkle in the dried parsley.
Step 5: Add the oysters to the stew, allowing them to cook until they have curled, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 6: Serve immediately with oyster crackers and Worcestershire sauce.
Expert Tips
- I prefer to serve Oyster Stew with Oyster Crackers, Worcestershire Sauce, and a hard roll for dipping or cleaning up the bowl. Trust me; you'll want to get every last drop out of those bowls!
- Be sure that your soup has cooled a bit before adding the milk; otherwise, you risk curdling the stew. You can always slowly heat the milk before adding it to the pot to avoid this altogether.
Recipe FAQs
Oyster Stew and Oyster Soup are interchangeable names for the same dish of oysters in a thin milk or cream-based soup.
The Christmas Eve tradition of eating oyster stew originates from the Irish Catholic community, in which meat was prohibited the night before Christmas.
Oysters are a great source of vitamins and nutrients like B-12 and Vitamin A. That said, Oyster stew typically contains a lot of dairy. So if you have a lactose intolerance, you may want to seek alternatives.
Most often, this is from adding cold milk to a hot stew. Be sure that your soup has cooled a bit before adding the milk. You can always slowly heat the milk before adding it to the pot to avoid this altogether. On the other hand, if the soup is already cooled enough, add the milk and slowly bring the stew back up to just a steam.
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📖 Recipe
Spicy Oyster Stew: A New Year Tradition
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. Salted Butter
- 1 Yellow Onion - finely diced
- 1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
- ¼ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Tabasco
- ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp. Black Pepper
- 4 Cups Whole Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp. Dried Parsley
- 16 Oz. Fresh Raw Oysters, undrained
Instructions
- Preheat a Cast Iron Dutch Oven over medium-low heat and add the butter until it has melted.
- Add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic in and continue to sauté for about another 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Stir in all the seasonings and spices, except for the dried parsley, sautéing for about another 2 minutes until everything is fragrant.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the milk, cream, dried parsley, and liquid from the oysters
- Slowly cook this mixture on low to medium-low until it begins to steam. Don't bring it to a boil or risk curdling the milk and cream.
- Add the oysters to the stew allowing them to cook until they have curled, about 6-8 minutes.
Video
Notes
- I prefer to serve Oyster Stew with Oyster Crackers, Worcestershire Sauce, and a hard roll for dipping or cleaning up the bowl. Trust me; you'll want to get every last drop out of those bowls!
- Be sure that your soup has cooled a bit before adding the milk; otherwise, you risk curdling the stew. You can always slowly heat the milk before adding it to the pot to avoid this altogether.
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