Can You Use Canned Oysters For Stew?

With the holidays fast approaching, you may have plans already lined up to make a traditional dish for the new year. Some families eat pork and sauerkraut for luck as per German tradition, while others slurp noodles or munch on black-eyed peas. In some areas, oyster stew is a classic Christmas and New Year's dinner, one which encourages virility and good luck.

A warm, rich seafood stew can be a hearty treat during those cold, deep winter months — but if shucking all those oysters sounds like a pain, never fear. You can absolutely use canned oysters instead of fresh ones as a way to get that stew on the table faster, without all the pains of shucking or the expense of ordering them fresh from the seafood counter. The canned versions are already pre-cooked and ready to eat, so it only takes a few moments of heating to finish off this comforting, revitalizing meal.

Oyster stew comes in several varieties, but many are centered around a rich, dairy base, similar to a chowder. The heavy, smooth dairy flavor alongside aromatic additions like celery, parsley, and garlic make it difficult to tell whether the oysters floating in the broth are canned or fresh. However, there are a few small considerations to keep in mind when opening up that can of this type of seafood. 

Canned versions are pre-cooked, so they don't need to simmer in the stew pot in the same way that raw, fresh oysters do. Seafood is notoriously delicate and cooking those already-cooked crustaceans too aggressively can cause them to lose their tenderness and become rubbery. Keep this in mind when adding canned oysters to your stew and only toss them in right at the end to warm them through gently. When the edges just barely curl, you'll know they're ready.

There are two typical varieties of canned oysters — smoked and boiled. Which of these goes best in this type of classic seafood stew? The short answer is that it all depends on your preferences. A classic version calls for fresh oysters, which naturally aren't smoked, so if sticking with tradition is your goal, then go for a can that's smoke-free. You'll be able to taste the unfiltered flavor of the oysters that way.

If you don't mind a bolder taste, adding smoked varieties to your stew can provide a rich depth of flavor that makes this dish even more delicious. The smoky flavor of the oysters adds so much complexity, especially in a fairly simple recipe. However, it can also be a bit strong so you might consider adding a mix of fresh and smoked oysters to your stew for balance. Ultimately, it's up to personal taste but either way, your stew will come together much easier and faster with the help of any variety of canned oysters.