Oyster Stew (Chesapeake) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 strips bacon
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
drained oysters (save juice)
milk
pinch of tapioca powder
lump of butter
saffron (optional)

Preparation

Cook bacon crisp; drain.
Cook onions and celery in bacon fat. Drain.
Brown oysters in pan, a drop.
Add juice and let the edges just curl.
Warm milk to almost simmer; add tapioca powder. Let it expand to a gelatinous mass. Pour oysters, juice and vegetables in.
Check for salt.
Put crumbled bacon on top; dust with saffron.
Add butter.