Tom Fitzmorris

Old-Style Oyster Stew

Preparation info

  • Serves

    four

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in

Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food

Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food

By Tom Fitzmorris

Published 2018

  • About

This is the oyster stew that was once common in the casual seafood restaurants of New Orleans, especially around West End. Like West End itself—which was totally destroyed by Hurricane Katrina—this dish is little more than a memory. But it’s a very good memory, and one that’s easily revived in a home kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery, and sauté until tender.
  2. Add the oyster liquor, half-and-half, peppercorns, and thyme. Bring to a very light simmer and cook slowly for 15 minutes.
  3. Add the oysters and green onions, and cook until the oysters are plumped up and the edges are curly, 3–5 minutes. Add salt to taste. (You may n