Oyster Stew!

This recipe is so simple, and so incredibly delicious. Really, how can you go wrong with oysters, butter, and cream - which comprise the bulk of this recipe. The original recipe (from an internet search seeking something flour-free) was modified just a bit - primarily by trading half and half for chicken stock and heavy cream. The oysters I got were huge, and this soup was pretty much to. die. for. Swoon.

Oyster Stew serves 4 and takes about 20 minutes total!
1 stick of butter
1 c minced celery
1/4 c minced shallots (onions worked great for me, I added a bit extra)
1 pint chicken stock
1 pint heavy cream (I ended up not using all of it - a little less was plenty)
24 oz or 1 1/2 lbs fresh, shucked oysters with the juice
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot. Add onions/shallots and celery, and cook until onions are tender (about 5 minutes).
2. Add broth to pot and let heat a minute or two over medium high heat. Add cream and stir continuously to heat. Just before boiling (you will see lots of little bubbles start to rise), pour the oysters and their liquid into the pot. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir continuously until the "oysters curl at the ends." My Charming Companion and I determined this to be after just a few minutes or so, maybe 4. When the ends are "curled" the stew is done and you can turn off the heat. Taste the soup to check your salt and pepper, adjust if needed.
3. Serve immediately! You could garnish with parsley if you had some.
*This was also very tasty when I reheated leftovers the following day. OMG. so good. It was also nice with the crackers from my previous post...you can break them up like oyster crackers!