Fred Thompson
Mushrooms and onions add body to Brown Oyster Stew, served over brown rice.
Winter weather has finally arrived after teasing us most of December. I use to say that I could tolerate cold better than I could handle the oppressive humidity of late summer, but the older I get the more the cold gets to me. At least in winter I can keep adding layers of clothing, but there is only so much I can take off in the summer.
Don't get me wrong, I will still be praying like a schoolkid for a couple of decent snows, and I do enjoy the change of a winter landscape, but what I really like are bowls of warming liquids to satisfy my hunger and warm my soul.
The Campbell's Soup Company has revived an old commercial that I love. It's the snowman that comes into the house and melts into a kid over a bowl of tomato soup. It just makes me want a bowl of hot goodness and, for me and I bet most of you, a nostalgic pull of childhood and home.
Soups and stews are among the most reliable of winter foods. I will usually have at least one, but as many as three soups ready to go in my refrigerator that I have put together over the weekends. Chili is always around.
But as much as I love the chicken noodle and vegetable soups, along with beef stew and chili, I also crave the different and fancier. That's where this oyster stew comes in.
Seafood soups and stews often are overlooked. Most are quicker to come together than other variations on this theme and are a refreshing change from the norm. With the BCS college football championship game Monday and the Super Bowl on the horizon, a seafood stew might be just the ticket.
Most of you will think of oyster stew as a white, thin, milk-based amalgamation. This stew takes a nod from the Lowcountry regions of the Carolinas and adds a little more substance, resulting in a more complete meal. The mushrooms and onions add body and flavor and turn the stew a light brown shade. A small amount of cream adds a luxurious feel on the tongue, as the brown rice introduces nuttiness to the bowl. While some may think of oyster stew as a poor man's food, the only thing poor about this dish is you when it's gone.
If you have decided to change your eating habits, this stew can still work. Cook the bacon but remove all the fat, leaving just a glaze in the pan, then add a little canola oil to cook the vegetables. Add a little more broth and cut the cream in half (or even use half and half).
So as the winter chill comes in full force, contemplate adding more soups and stews. Start with this one and build a base of your family's favorites. It will make your weeknights quick and cozy.
