Oyster stew recipes—hearty stews are a winter necessity; not only are they easy to make, but they keep you warm and cozy.Like many soups, however, oyster stew often falls prey to high fat ingredients such as butter, cream and oil. Cut out the fat with these slimmer oyster stew recipes.

Serve any of these recipes as a warming and elegant appetizer at any holiday party.

Oyster Bisque

Rather than heavy cream, this recipe uses pureed rice to thicken the stew. The natural sweetness of the rice also balances out the taste of the oysters and clam juice.

Ingredients

    * 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
    * 2 leeks, trimmed, washed (see Tip) and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks
    * 1 tablespoon canola oil
    * 2 onions, finely chopped
    * 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
    * 3 cups water, divided
    * 3 cups clam juice, (see Tip), divided
    * 1 cup low-fat milk
    * 1 pint shucked oysters with their liquor
    * 1/8 teaspoon salt
    * Freshly ground pepper, to taste