- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1/2 cup dry sherry or dry white wine
- 24 freshly shucked oysters, oyster liquor reserved
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- sea salt to taste
- 1 pinch sweet paprika
- 1 cup oyster crackers
- Stir butter and garlic in stockpot over medium heat until butter begins to brown. Remove garlic and discard.
- Stir shallots into browned butter. Cook and stir until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Pour sherry over shallots in the stockpot and bring to a boil while scraping any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour reserved oyster liquor, milk, and cream into the stockpot; bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in oysters; cook until oyster edges begin to ruffle, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in parsley; season with sea salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sweet paprika and oyster crackers.