From A Taste of Our State series. Click here to read or listen to contributor Sheri Castle’s column from the December 2025 issue.

Christmas Oyster Stew

Traditional recipes for oyster stew are often little more than fresh oysters in hot milk. This one gets an upgrade from bacon, vegetables, and seasoning without overwhelming the oysters. Unless you have access to fresh oysters and shucking know-how, the surest path to a pint of shucked oysters is to buy them from a seafood vendor or well-stocked grocery store. Look for jars of freshly shucked oysters displayed on crushed ice, not cooked oysters in tins. Add the oysters and cook briefly before serving. When their edges curl, they’re ready.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

1 pint freshly shucked oysters with their liquid
1½ to 2 cups high-quality bottled clam juice or seafood stock, as needed
4 ounces smoky bacon, diced
1 cup finely diced onion
½ cup finely diced celery
Pinch of salt
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons dry sherry, such as fino or amontillado
Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and ground cayenne pepper, to taste
Scallions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Lemon zest (for garnish)
Bacon Bow Crackers (for serving, recipe follows)

Pour the oysters into a fine-mesh sieve set over a large measuring cup to collect their liquid (known as oyster liquor). Refrigerate the oysters until needed. Add enough clam juice to the liquor to total 2½ cups of liquid.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Transfer the bacon to a bowl and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot. Add onion, celery, and salt into the bacon fat. Cook until vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Stir in the oyster liquor mixture. Cook until smooth, bubbling, and thick, about 5 minutes, stirring slowly and continuously. Stir in cream. Cook only until the liquid begins to steam; do not let it boil. Add reserved oysters. Cook only until their edges begin to ruffle, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on their size.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in the sherry and lemon juice. Season the stew with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

While stew is warm, quickly ladle into serving bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon, scallions, and lemon zest. Serve with crackers on the side.

photograph by Tim Robison

Bacon Bow Crackers

Yield: 24 pieces.

8 thin-cut bacon slices (about 6 ounces)
24 rectangular butter crackers (such as Club, Captain’s Wafers, or Waverly)

Preheat oven to 250°. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking pan.

Cut bacon slices crosswise into thirds. Wrap a piece around the center of each cracker, slightly overlapping the ends. A gentle stretch of the cut bacon pieces makes for an easier wrap.

Arrange the crackers seam-side down in a single layer on the wire rack, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake 1½ hours or until the bacon browns, crisps, and constricts around the center of each cracker. Remove the pan from the oven and let the crackers cool completely on the rack before serving.