Sunday, December 13, 2009

Clementine Paddleford loved Christmas

Clementine loved Christmas and her parents, Solon and Jennie, went all out to decorate the house and cook all the favorites.  One favorite that everyone looked forward to was Jennie's silken oyster stew.

Yes, Kansas had oysters at Christmas time.  Once the oysters were harvested on the east coast they were placed into large barrels that were shipped by train to the Central Plains.  John Sweet, the owner of the general store in Stockdale, Kansas, always placed his order in November so the oysters would arrive in time.

Here from the book Hometown Appetites is "Jennie Paddleford's Oyster Stew" recipe.

28 oysters, well chilled
6 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
Salt, to taste

Shuck oysters over a medium bowl to catch oyster liquor, putting shucked oysters into another bowl.  Discard shells.
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and celery salt, then add oysters and bring to a simmer.  Add 1 cup of the reserved oyster liquor to pan, discarding any remaining liquor, and bring to a boil.  Add milk and half-and-half to pan and heat, stirring  once or twice, until just about to boil  (do not allow to boil, or stew will curdle), 3 to 5 minutes.  Season with salt.  Divide remaining 2 tablespoons butter among 4 warm soup bowls just before ladling in stew.  Yield: 4 servings.

Kelly Alexander and Cynthia Harris, Hometown Appetites: The Story of Clementine Paddleford, the Forgotten Food Writer Who Chronicled How America Ate, Gotham Books, 2008.

Clementine Paddleford

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Cynthia Harris