Stewed Oysters is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of steamed oysters stewed in a thickened mix of oyster liquor and cream flavoured with spices. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Stewed Oysters.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
288. INGREDIENTS.—1 pint of oysters, 1 oz. of butter, flour, 1/3 pint of cream; cayenne and salt to taste; 1 blade of pounded mace.
Mode.—Scald the oysters in their own liquor, take them out, beard them, and strain the liquor; put the butter into a stewpan, dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up, add the oyster-liquor and mace, and stir it over a sharp fire with a wooden spoon; when it comes to a boil, add the cream, oysters, and seasoning. Let all simmer for 1 or 2 minutes, but not longer, or the oysters would harden. Serve on a hot dish, and garnish with croutons, or toasted sippets of bread. A small piece of lemon-peel boiled with the oyster-liquor, and taken out before the cream is added, will be found an improvement.
Time.—Altogether 15 minutes.
Average cost for this quantity, 3s. 6d.
Seasonable from September to April.
Sufficient for 6 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
600ml of oysters
30g butter
1 tbsp plain flour
200ml cream
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp ground mace
Method:
Add the oysters to a pan and steam for about 3 minutes in their own liquor. Take them out of of the pan, beard them then shuck the oysters, reserve their liquor then strain this free from any grit.
Melt the butter in a pan and scatter over the flour then stir to combine. Beat in the oyster liquor and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture is boiling add the cream, oysters and seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes (but no longer).
Turn into a warmed serving dish and garnish with fried or toasted crôutons of bread. As a variant you can add a strip of pared lemon zest to the oyster liquor (take this out before adding the cream).
