Oyster stew is a stew made with oysters. It is popular in the United States and in The Gambia.
In New England cuisine, oyster stew is often associated with Thanksgiving.[1] In Southern United States cuisine, oyster stew is often prepared on Christmas Eve.[2]
There have been a number of different explanations offered for oyster stew being traditionally consumed on Christmas Eve. Bill Neal suggests that before the acceptance of refrigerated food transport, sufficient cold weather for shipping was not guaranteed before December, and so "Far from the coast, oysters became a symbol of the arrival of the winter holiday season, appearing in the markets by Christmas Eve and on tables that night as oyster stew.[3] Stephanie Butler, however, gives an alternate explanation: Irish Catholic immigrants would not eat meat on Christmas Eve, and were used to eating stew made with ling instead. Butler suggests that "oysters taste pretty similar to dried ling: they're salty, briny and can be quite chewy. The ling stew recipe was quickly adapted for oysters."[4]
The basic southern oyster stew is made with milk and cream.[3] Oyster stew is often served with oyster crackers, and that may be the origin of the cracker's name.[5]
Oyster stew is also a popular dish in Gambian cuisine. Oysters in The Gambia are grown on mangrove roots in swamps.[6]
^Lawrence, Marie W. (2011). The Farmer's Cookbook: A Back to Basics Guide to Making Cheese, Curing Meat, Preserving Produce, Baking Bread, Fermenting, and More. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 334. ISBN 9781616083809. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
^Bussemer, Dorothy L. (2009). "Oyster Stew with Mother". In Szymanski, Helen (ed.). Christmas Traditions: True Stories that Celebrate the Spirit of the Season. Adams Media. p. 111. ISBN 9781440513497. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
^ abNeal, Bill (2009). Bill Neal's Southern Cooking. University of North Carolina Press. p. 14. ISBN 9780807889589. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
^Butler, Stephanie. "Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve: An American Tradition". History.com. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
^Gallary, Christine. "What Are Oyster Crackers (And How Did They Get Their Name)?". The Kitchn. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
^Sweeney, Philip (1993). The Gambia and Senegal. Insight Guides. APA. p. 107. OCLC 441021492.
Oysterstew is a stew made with oysters. It is popular in the United States and in The Gambia. In New England cuisine, oysterstew is often associated...
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known variously as Frogmore Stew, Beaufort Stew, a Beaufort boil, a Lowcountry boil, or a tidewater boil; the other is the Oyster Roast, A Lowcountry boil...
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thick soup prepared with milk or cream, a roux, and seafood or vegetables. Oyster crackers or saltines may accompany chowders as a side item, and cracker...
whereas salmorejo cannot. Gazpacho manchego, despite its name, is a meat stew, served hot, not a variation on the cold vegetable soup. The original recipe...
dishes; and minestrone, which means a very substantial or large soup or stew, though the meaning has now[when?] come to be associated with this particular...
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as a variant. French cuisine French onion dip List of French soups and stews List of onion dishes List of soups List of vegetable soups Onion sauce Sop...
versions the soup may also contain mushrooms—usually straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms. Various meats are added next, commonly fish, shrimp, mixed seafood...
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used to season crab and shrimp. It is used in various clam chowder and oysterstew recipes. The seasoning is also used as a topping on popcorn, salads,...
Maafe a Mandinka dish made from peanut paste and various vegetables. Oysterstew Thiakry, a sweet dish made from couscous (wheat or millet), milk (or...
fish are endemic to this ecoregion. Oysters are harvested from the River Gambia by women and used to make oysterstew, a traditional dish in the cuisine...
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