Natural brine of the oyster liquor, herbs and veggies with a splash of wine.
Course Seafood
Cuisine Maryland
Keyword Maryland Oyster Liquor Oyster Chowder
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 4servings
Equipment
Large pot with lid
Skillet
Tongs
Ingredients
2dozenOysters In Shellsscrub, don't open
3cupsWater
1tbspSalt
4Celery stalks
1Onionlarge
2Potatoes large
1/2lbBacon
1Jalapeño large
Cilantro or Parsley bunchchopped
2tspOld Bay seasoning or favorite seafood seasoning
1cupWhite wine
2tbspHeavy Cream
Instructions
In a large pot, on top of the stove, bring salted water to a boil.
In a skillet, cook the bacon and save about 1 tbsp of the bacon drippings in the pan. Rough chop the cooked bacon and set it aside.
Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes. Confetti chop the celery, onions and jalapeño (into small sizes). In the skillet with the reserved bacon drippings, quick saute the confetti chopped celery, onions and jalapeno, about a minute. Remove the pan from the burner.
Scrub the oyster shells very well. Transfer the scrubbed oysters into the boiling water, lid on and check them every few minutes. The moment you see the shells open, about 2 minutes, remove the pot from the stove and with tongs, remove the oysters and shells.
Return the pot to the stove, on medium low, and transfer the sauteed celery, onions and jalapeno, along with the potatoes, wine, cooked bacon and Old Bay seasoning.
While waiting for the potatoes to cook, remove the oysters from inside their shells. They pluck out easily.
As soon as the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, turn the stove off, add the cilantro, cream and oysters. Cover to keep warm and serve.