Jeremy Sewall’s Oyster Stew
Chef Jeremy Sewall uses diced apples as a garnish in his oyster stew to delicious effect, adding fennel, thyme, celery, and onion as complementary notes. Like Jeremy, we like our oyster stew served in wide-rimmed bowls over toasted sourdough bread.
Yield:
4 servingsIngredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 rib celery, thinly sliced, leaves reserved
1 fennel stalk, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
2 cups heavy cream
1 bay leaf
3 stems fresh thyme
16 medium oysters, any variety, shucked, with ½ cup oyster liqueur (juice) reserved
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 slices of sourdough bread
1 tart apple, finely diced
Instructions
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the celery, fennel, and onion. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, then add the cream, bay leaf, and thyme. Continue to simmer until the cream is reduced by almost half.
Add the oysters and their liqueur and bring the stew back up to a simmer. Warm the oysters through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sit for 30 seconds. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Lightly toast the sourdough, then place each slice in a small shallow bowl. Spoon the oyster stew over the bread. Garnish with diced apple, fennel fronds, and celery leaves. Enjoy warm.