Oyster Stew with Potatoes

The Maryland farm woman who gave us this unusual recipe buys two or three bushels of oysters at a time. The entire family helps her shuck them—they open the shells with oyster knives, scrape out the oysters and rinse them quickly in cold water. One bushel yields 2 or 3 quarts. But even if you live far from oyster farming country and buy your oysters without shells, ready to use, you’ll want to try this stew. It makes a delightful supper dish. And who can improve on the accompaniment the originator of the dish suggested—crisp coleslaw?