Creamy, old-fashioned oyster stew is a Christmas tradition in many homes. This indulgent stew is easy to make and possesses a uniquely delicious flavor. Why not try serving it to your family this year?

Our recipe comes straight from the Bevans family, the owners of Bevans Oyster company in Kinsale, Va., where we get our fresh oysters. The Bevans family describes their oyster stew recipe as “A new version of an old standard.”

Bevans oysters are grown, caught, shucked and packaged with care to provide you with the freshest, best-tasting local oysters. Click here to see a YouTube video about Bevans Oysters.

Oyster stew is a perfect way to try cooking with oysters for the first time.

Oyster Stew

1 cup water
3 green onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups whole milk
3 Tbsps. flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup evaporated milk
4 Tbsps. butter
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 ½ tsps. salt
1 quart Bevans Shucked Oysters (and their liquid)

In a large pot, heat water to boiling. Once boiling, add celery and onions and boil for 5 minutes. Add milk and butter, then whisk in dry ingredients and reduce heat slightly. Cook until hot but not boiling. Add oysters and cook just until edges curl.

Shrimp trays are a standard at almost every holiday party. Make guests rave about your party tray when you serve Ukrop’s All-Natural Shrimp with savory, unique dipping sauces.

Our shrimp is the best around. Back in the early 1990’s, James Ukrop launched a search for the freshest, best-tasting all-natural shrimp. He found it in South America. Today, Ukrop’s All-Natural Shrimp are grown exclusively for us in Honduras. They’re chemical-free and raised specifically to meet our high expectations. The best part: you can buy them pre-cooked and ready to eat in our meat department. If you’re using 21/25 cooked shrimp, plan on four shrimp per person. While you’re in the store, grab one of our flavor-infused Joe’s Market cocktail sauces like
Meyer Lemon & Shallot or Cilantro & Key Lime. Then, mix up the two sauces below; arrange everything on a serving platter, and your ready to go!

Cajun Horseradish Sauce
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup prepared horseradish
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 tsps. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsps. chopped parsley

Stir together breadcrumbs, horseradish, cream and salt in a medium bowl. Let mixture sit for 3 minutes so breadcrumbs can absorb cream. Break up breadcrumbs with a fork. Stir in cayenne pepper, Creole seasoning, lemon juice and sour cream. Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh parsley.

Easy Rémoulade Sauce
¾ cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsps. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Creole mustard
3 Tbsps. chopped celery (look for the pre-chopped celery in Ukrop’s produce department)
1 ½ Tbsps. chopped fresh parsley
½ Tbsp. chopped scallion
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 dashed Tobasco (optional)
Black pepper to taste 

Stir all ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spoon into a serving bowl.

Make it Lighter:
Substitute the sour cream in the first recipe with reduced fat sour cream and use reduced fat mayonnaise in place of full-fat in the second one.

A few weeks ago the Ukrop’s team went to visit Bevans Oysters, the family-owned business that supplies the local oysters we sell in our stores. In 1966, Ronnie and Shirley Bevans started Bevans Oysters with a small building and six shuckers. Today the Bevans plant is the largest distributer of oysters on the east coast. “What’s unique about us is that Ronnie is so hands on,” says Ronnie’s daughter, Margaret Ransone, “Everything is hand-picked and hand-graded. When a truck pulls in, Ronnie Bevans goes out, shucks an oyster and personally checks it…He would never send anything out of here that he, himself, wouldn’t eat.”

Oysters arrive at Bevans fresh from the surrounding rivers. They are shucked, packed and shipped out within 24 hours to ensure absolute freshness. In a typical season, shuckers arrive at the company in Kinsale, Va., around 3 a.m. to start shucking and during busy months, they arrive at 1 a.m. or even midnight. Once they are shucked, the oysters are cleaned and packed by size. Starting early in the morning allows oysters to be shipped first thing in the morning, often meaning that the oysters arrive at Ukrop’s less than 24 hours after they were caught.

After being around oysters for so many years, the Bevans family has also had plenty of experience cooking them. Every Thanksgiving they indulge in freshly made oyster stuffing, and they’ve shared their family recipe with us. Why not try it in your home this year?

Bevans Family Oyster Stuffing

1 pint Bevans Shucked Oysters
¾ cup minced onion
1 ½ cups chopped celery
2 Tbsps. butter, melted
9 cups soft bread cubes
¾ cup butter
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. crushed sage leaves
½ tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook onion and celery in 2 Tbsps. butter until onions are tender. Stir in about 1/3 of the bread cubes. Empty into a deep bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Bake the turkey or in a separate, covered casserole dish for 25 to 40 minutes or until heated through with a crust on top.

Ukrop's. Executive Chef Tom Pearce often makes this spicy grilled appetizer at cookouts and other events. “Friends make me make it over and over,” he says of the New Orleans-inspired dish. Although it takes lots of ingredients, the process is pretty simple. Give it a try and wow your friends with your culinary prowess.

If you’re having friends over this weekend, give this recipe a try. Fresh Farm-Raised Raw Shrimp are part of the 5 for $25 meat sale going on until Saturday, so it’s the perfect time to try something new.

Ukrop’s Executive Chef Tom Pearce’s Shrimp with Rémoulade Sauce
Prep Time: 35 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes |Serves: 12 as an appetizer

Spicy Rémoulade Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon capers, drained

Shrimp Spice Mix Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, depending on desired heat
3 tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs. (21/25 per pound) raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined, tail on

To prepare rémoulade sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Combine all spice mix ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss evenly to coat. Cover and refrigerate 20-30 minutes. Heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill or heavy skillet) to medium-high heat. Grill shrimp until just barely opaque in the center (30-40 seconds) on each side.  Be careful not to overcook. Arrange on plates or a platter and serve with rémoulade sauce or refrigerate and serve chilled. Chef Pearce prefers serving this dish chilled or at room temperature.

Shrimp are low in fat and quick to cook. Try quickly boiling them for a convenient, flavor-filled family meal. This week is a perfect time to try this recipe because our fresh farm-raised raw shell-on shrimp are on sale for $6.98 per pound! Click here to view our weekly ad.

Boiled, Spiced Peel n' Eat Shrimp
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pounds raw shrimp
2 lemons
1/2 stick butter
¼ cup Old Bay seasoning (more if you like your shrimp spicier)

Fill a large pot about halfway with water. Place on stove, cover and turn burner to highest heat. Rinse and cut 1 lemon in half. Squeeze lemons into water, then drop in halves. Add butter and Old Bay. Cover and bring to a boil. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, cut the second lemon into wedges. Add shrimp to hot water and cook for 3 minutes or just until they turn pink. Remove from heat and dump into a strainer. Serve with lemon wedges, additional Old Bay and Joe’s Market Meyer Lemon & Shrimp Cocktail Sauce.