Hearty New England Oyster Chowder With Rivels - cooking recipe

Ingredients

12 -16 ounces oysters
1/2 cup onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups potatoes, cubed
5 cups milk
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons basil
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons flour (optional)
1/2 cup milk (optional)
Rivels
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
3/4 - 1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch pepper
1 teaspoon parsley

Preparation

In a stock pot saute onions in butter. Add oysters and saute for additional 3 - 4 minutes. Add milk, potatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.
As chowder is cooking, make rivels. Beat together egg, milk, salt, pepper and parsley. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Bring chowder to a slow boil and drop small bits of dough into the chowder, stirring occasionally. (I use two small spoons, one to scoop up a little dough and the other to scrape the dough off the spoon into the chowder.) These will turn into little dumplings otherwise known as rivels.
Simmer until potatoes are cooked through. If you wish to thicken the chowder, mix 3 tablespoons flour with 1/3 cup milk to make a smooth paste. Slowly add a little bit at a time to chowder stirring constantly until chowder thickens.