christmas dinner

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night! 
                                                          - Clement Moore

Every family that celebrates Christmas has some sort of tradition, I'm sure. In my family, that involves going to the candlelight service at church, followed by a Christmas dinner of oyster stew, then the opening of gifts with a hot mug of cranberry tea in hand. This year was no exception. The only thing that's changed over time is who makes the stew - a job that's fallen to my grandpa, brother and I as my grandma is in a nursing home. 


The recipe, like many of my grandparents', is simple and less a matter of exact measurements than taste. I kind of like that approach to cooking; it allows for variations based on what (and who) is in the kitchen. The only constant is good food on the table and a happy family.

raw oysters just added to the pan

this is what they'll look like when they've cooked enough

For the oyster stew, start out with anything from a pint to a quart of fresh, raw oysters. (We always buy ours already shucked and cleaned from the meat counter at the grocery.) Preheat a large pot on the stove, about medium heat, and pour in the oysters, brine and all. Turn down the heat to medium low, and let the oysters cook gently until the edges begin to curl, giving an occasional stir.

heating on the stove

Pour in roughly a gallon of milk (depending on how much the pot will hold), or a combination of milk and half & half, whatever suits your fancy. (We generally use whole milk, unless we're feeling especially indulgent, in which case we substitute a pint or so of half & half.) Add some butter - up to one stick - and heat the soup through, on no higher than medium heat, just until it begins to steam - but do not let it boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the soup hot, with lots and lots of oyster crackers and black pepper. 

can't get much better than that!

It's nice to warm the bowls you'll be using so the soup stays hot longer. My grandpa has a trick for warming his dishes in the winter - he places them on the heating vent in the kitchen while we cook dinner, so that by the time the food is ready, the dishes are nice and hot from the furnace running. Alternatively, you can always stick the dishes in a 200 degree oven - just make sure the glass is oven-safe!

As a side note, the soup is really almost better the next day, when the flavours have had a chance to mingle a bit. So definitely keep the leftovers, if there are any!

I gotta say, a frosty mug of beer does pretty well as an accompaniment to the soup, but traditionally we drink cranberry tea on Christmas Eve. 

This year I made the tea, and it was one of those head-first dives into the relative unknown that ended up turning out alright. I vaguely remembered the ingredients being cranberry juice, orange juice, and red hot candies, but had absolutely no idea what sort of proportions grandma used. I went with a 3:1 cup ratio of cranberry and orange juices per 1/4 cup of red hot candies. Measure the juices into a saucepan, add the red hots, and heat until the candies have melted. Super easy, eh? 

Oh, and my grandpa was musing that this could be spiked with some vodka... not a bad thought!

I guess that about wraps it up for this time. Christmas cookies deserve their own post, after all. 

I hope everyone has had a very merry holiday season. Thanks for reading. Cheers!