Oyster Stew (TM 10-412)

Recipe No. 547 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Soups. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Oysters, washed and drained — 5 quarts (5 No. 56 dippers)
• Fat, melted — 1¼ pounds (¾ mess kit cup)
• Milk, evaporated — 22 — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 2½ gallons (10 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — (¼ mess kit spoon)
• Worcestershire sauce — (⅔ mess kit spoon)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk · Worcestershire Sauce

1. Fry oysters in melted fat until edges curl.
2. Mix milk and water; heat.
3. Combine oysters, hot milk, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce; mix well.
4. Serve immediately.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Oysters, washed and drained — 1⅔ cups Fat, melted — 1⅔ oz Milk, evaporated — 1¾ can(s) (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 3¼ cups Salt — about 2 tsp Pepper — scale to taste ((¼ mess kit spoon)) Worcestershire sauce — scale to taste ((⅔ mess kit spoon))

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 547, Soups. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.