Lowcountry Brown Oyster Stew Recipe

Fermented locust beans and crawfish powder nod to the West African roots of Gullah Geechee cooking in this hearty, comforting recipe from chef Amethyst Ganaway.

4

1 hour

By Amethyst Ganaway

Published on May 12, 2023

By Amethyst Ganaway

Published on May 12, 2023

"Stew means something special in the Lowcountry," says Charleston, South Carolina-based chef Amethyst Ganaway. "These smothered seafood dishes appear in a lot of those old spiral-bound fishermen's wives’ cookbooks, but I added dawadawa and crawfish powder to this recipe, to tie it back to West African culture, where coastal communities use smoked fish to create umami." Dawadawa, or iru, are fermented locust beans, a popular condiment in Nigerian-style soups and stews; many West African techniques and ingredients are essential aspects of Gullah Geechee cooking. Carolina Lowcountry stews often employ bacon or smoked pork for flavor, but Ganaway wanted to accentuate the freshly shucked local oysters in her meatless version; she also added rich seasonings including sun-dried tomato powder, bay leaf powder, and smoked chipotle powder. This Lowcountry brown oyster stew recipe was a highlight during a dinner Ganaway cooked at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival to honor such Gullah Geechee culinary matriarchs as Emily Meggett and Sallie Ann Robinson.

Look for crawfish powder or dried shrimp powder at a Caribbean or African grocer, or online. Caribbean bay leaf powder, dawadawa, and sun-dried tomato powder can also be found online. When shucking the oysters, reserve the liquor (the juice that gets released from inside the shells) to incorporate the briny flavor into the stew. Season the brown oyster stew with more salt as needed before serving.

Featured in, "A Tribute to the Matriarchs of the Lowcountry."