The sight of a thick tomato-y chili and a briny batch of oyster stew simmering on the stove are rich in tradition for me; it is my family’s meal the night before Christmas. According to my mom Irene, the tradition started as a way to serve something simple, relatively light and easy to make. Her theory, which I wholeheartedly agree with, was that no one wants to eat a huge meal the night before Christmas. And really, who wants to make a huge meal?
Mom made her chili in the afternoon and kept it warm in a crock pot so people could eat whenever it suited them. My mom’s oyster stew is beyond simple and can be made in 15 minutes, so she always put that together at the last minute and just kept it warm on the stove. The reason for the combination of chili and soup is that everyone in our family likes at least one of the two dishes.
The ultimate benefit of a simple tradition like my families' was it allowed us to focus on what was most important, spending quality time together.
I would love to hear your family's holiday tradition for Christmas Eve. Share it here.
Oyster Stew
Serves: 8
Hands on time: 5 minutes
Start to finish: 15 minutes
2 (8 ounce) cans oysters
24 ounces water
8 ounces heavy cream, half and half or milk
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon black pepper
Warm everything in a saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes and serve. It's that easy!
