This is a Stellrecht tradition, to be eaten while trimming the Christmas tree each year. Barry’s parents recreated the recipe from a Campbell’s soup can! The only problem with the tradition was, the kids never liked oysters. When I joined the family, I was ecstatic with the oyster stew, but I also volunteered to make an additional pot of soup for Barry (I knew cooking was the way to my boyfriend’s heart, and I was right). Instead of oyster stew, he and his sister slurped Potato-Cheese soup that year.
16 oz oysters, shucked and in their liquor
4 C milk
3 T butter
2 T Worcestershire sauce
Dash red pepper sauce or pinch cayenne pepper (it will get hotter as it stands)
Garlic salt, onion, salt, celery salt, and black pepper to taste
Parsley, to garnish
In a medium saucepan, simmer the oysters and liquor over medium heat until they begin to curl. Remove from heat. In a larger pot, combine the other ingredients and heat almost to boiling. Stir in the oysters and liquor and serve garnished with parsley.