Prize-Winning Wellfleet Oyster Stew
Heidi Clemmer, a teacher at Wellfleet Elementary in Wellfleet, Mass., runs the Shucky’s Day events (a shellfish tour followed by a lesson in how to open oysters and pair them with wines) at the Wellfleet OysterFest. Some years back, she entered this stew in the Cape Cod Times "Best Recipe Contest." It didn’t win in the "soup" category, but as Heidi was heading for the door, the judges suggested she stick around for the final award: the Grand Prize! Discover more great food festivals here.
ingredients: Add all to shopping list
3-4 medium potatoes, diced large
½ lb fresh Brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
4 pints Half & Half
2 sticks butter (For a lighter version of the stew, use only 1 stick butter)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 pint Wellfleet oysters, shucked
Oyster liquor
5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
½ lb fresh Brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
4 pints Half & Half
2 sticks butter (For a lighter version of the stew, use only 1 stick butter)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 pint Wellfleet oysters, shucked
Oyster liquor
5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
directions:
1. Place diced potatoes and Brussels sprouts in a pot of boiling water; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Pour Half & Half into a soup pot or crock. Add 1 stick butter and chopped parsley; bring to a simmer over medium. Once cream base is heated through, add cooked potatoes and Brussels sprouts and lower heat so mixture stays warm but doesn’t overcook.
3. In a skillet, melt ½ the remaining butter. Add sliced mushrooms and onions and sauté until just soft. Add to soup base, then melt last ½ stick butter in skillet and slip in oysters, oyster liquor, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low until edges of oysters start to curl. Add to stew; heat gently, taking care not to boil, and finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Reprinted from The Joy of Shucking: Recipes from the Wellfleet OysterFest.
KITCHEN COUNTER:
Serves 6.
