Tag: soup

Jerri’s Oyster Stew

My mother made oyster stew in the winter, and I think that we had it almost every year on New Year’s Eve. My oldest sister tells me that Mom made it only on New Year’s Eve and then only because my father liked it. She added that he was the only one who ate it. She does not like oysters.

My youngest sister says that Mom made oyster stew at least three or four times a month in the winter because, first, my father loved it and, second, because it was cheap. My memory supports my youngest sister’s recollection. I ate oyster stew at home, so Dad wasn’t the only one eating it.

I don’t really think of oysters as being cheap, but my mother used canned oysters, which, according to my sister, Mom picked up at three cans for a dollar when they were on sale. Her oyster stew was a simple dish of oysters, milk, salt, pepper and butter. We ate it with saltines or oyster crackers. Maybe at first it was the novelty of the oyster crackers, but I have always liked this stew.

We began eating oyster stew for our Christmas Eve supper in the 1970’s when we lived in Kentucky, and we have never missed a year since then. Like my mother, Jerri is attentive to the food budget, so she usually uses a combination of freshly shucked and canned oysters. The result is wonderful.

Jerri’s recipe is almost as simple as Mom’s. Jerri adds flour and Worcestershire sauce and replaces the pepper with hot sauce. The result is a surprisingly rich, velvety soup that is a perfect light Christmas Eve supper. This recipe makes enough for six or eight servings, but any leftovers hold well to enjoy for supper on Christmas day or even a day or two later.

INGREDIENTS:

3 T all-purpose flour
3 T cold water
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. hot sauce
1 pint shucked oysters with liquid
3 8 oz. cans oysters
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 quarts whole milk

PROCEDURE:

Mix the flour and salt with three tablespoons of cold water in a three quart saucepan. Put over moderate heat and add the butter, stirring frequently until the butter is melted. Then add the shucked and canned oysters with their liquid along with the Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Bring just barely to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for three or four minutes

While the oysters are cooking, heat the milk until it is steaming. When the edges of the shucked oysters begin to curl, stir in the hot milk. Cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Let the stew sit for ten to fifteen minutes to blend the flavors. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Reheat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with a small pat of salted butter. Serve with oyster crackers and good bread.

Jodell’s Ravioli Soup

First, make a list of people who might enjoy a soup lunch or dinner at your home. Second, narrow down the list to ten for lunch or six for dinner. Third, call them and get a commitment. Fourth, start the soup about three hours before your guests will arrive.

As you can tell, this recipe makes a lot of soup. Fortunately, you can freeze the leftovers, so if someone doesn’t show, you will have a nice lunch or light Sunday supper.

Jerri first tasted this soup at a meeting of the St. Croix Valley Music Teachers Association. Jodell’s ravioli soup was an unqualified success, and she was generous enough to share the recipe with her fellow music teachers. It is a rich Italian-style soup with a wonderful bouquet.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
1 lb. hamburger
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups beef broth
5 cups water
3 beef bullion cubes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 large carrots
2 medium potatoes
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
25 oz. package fresh or frozen ravioli
V-8 juice
Parmesan cheese

PROCEDURE:

Peel and chop the onion medium fine and peel and mince the garlic. Coat the bottom of an 8 to 10 quart soup pot or Dutch oven with the olive oil. Add the hamburger, onion and garlic and fry over moderate heat. Drain any excess fat. Add the tomatoes, spices, liquids, bullion cubes, and tomato sauce. Bring to the boil.

Peel the carrots and potatoes, cut them to a half inch dice and add them to the soup. Return to the boil and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.. Add the spinach and return to the boil. Add the ravioli and cook as directed. The soup will probably need more liquid at this point. Add V-8 juice as necessary.

Serve in bowls. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Italian Feather Bread or a crusty French bread goes well with this soup. Add a green salad for dinner.

NOTES: You can vary the character of the soup by using different kinds of ravioli. Jerri uses cheese ravioli. If you buy frozen ravioli, let it thaw in the refrigerator a few hours before you plan to make the soup.