Oyster Stuffing is one dish on my Thanksgiving buffet that I do not eat. It is a gift to my husband, and a few of the boys will eat it. This is my husband's mother's dish. It's not actually her recipe, but apparently it's close enough to make him happy. Since he doesn't eat Thanksgiving dinner at his mother's house, I guess it's the least I can do, even though I gag when I'm chopping the oysters. True love, I tell you. If you like oysters -- go for it.
But, since I like you so much, and I wouldn't want you to have to chop oysters, I'm also sharing my recipe for Sausage Stuffing. This is Doug's grandmother's recipe. An authentic relic, I tell you -- and it's tried and true. It has great flavor, and it's moist even when you bake it in a casserole dish, which I do.
The recipe for Oyster Stuffing is based on Paula Deen's Oyster Stuffing. However, I make some changes, so I'm posting my version here. I dry my bread out and chop my onions and celery the night before, so all I have to do in the morning is saute the vegetables and chop the oysters (gag). The quantity of broth is a huge range, because depending on the brand of bread you use, it could soak up a lot or a little. You want it to be pretty wet when you're done, but, not so wet that it would run out of the dish. It should have a little body to it.
Oyster Stuffing
one large loaf white sandwich bread, dried in warm oven
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
3 to 5 cups low-salt chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
4 eggs, beaten
2 pints or 1 quart oysters, drained and chopped
Break up or cube dried white bread slices, and crush crackers.
Mix together and set aside.
Saute chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent,
approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
Pour over bread mixture.
Add stock, starting with 3 cups and adding more,
if you need to, to get a pretty moist mixture
(not too wet -- you still have eggs to add),
mix well and add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning.
Add beaten eggs and mix well.
Add oysters and mix. Pour into a greased pan.
Bake at 350 dgrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes or until completely cooked through
(use a meat thermometer if you have any doubt -- it should read 165 degrees).
~~~~~~~~
Grandma Ruth's Sausage Stuffing
1 med. onion, finely chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped finely
6 T. butter
¼ lb. breakfast or spicy sausage (you can cook it or not -- your choice)
1 uncooked chicken or turkey liver, chopped (I don't use this)
10 twigs fresh parsley, chopped fine
dried bread cubes (see note)
¾ T. poultry seasoning
2 t. salt
¼ t. pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups water (or more to make moist stuffing)
Saute onion and celery in butter until slightly cooked but crispy.
Toss parsley, sausage, chicken or turkey liver, bread cubes,
poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
Combine eggs and water.
Lightly toss with bread mixture.
Stuffs a 13 pound turkey.
Or place in a greased casserole dish
and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes until completely done
(see thermometer note above).
NOTE: slowly bake 25 bread slices at 300 degrees F.
until dry and lightly browned, turning once. Slice into 1" cubes.
.
one large loaf white sandwich bread, dried in warm oven
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
3 to 5 cups low-salt chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
4 eggs, beaten
2 pints or 1 quart oysters, drained and chopped
Break up or cube dried white bread slices, and crush crackers.
Mix together and set aside.
Saute chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent,
approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
Pour over bread mixture.
Add stock, starting with 3 cups and adding more,
if you need to, to get a pretty moist mixture
(not too wet -- you still have eggs to add),
mix well and add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning.
Add beaten eggs and mix well.
Add oysters and mix. Pour into a greased pan.
Bake at 350 dgrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes or until completely cooked through
(use a meat thermometer if you have any doubt -- it should read 165 degrees).
~~~~~~~~
Grandma Ruth's Sausage Stuffing
1 med. onion, finely chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped finely
6 T. butter
¼ lb. breakfast or spicy sausage (you can cook it or not -- your choice)
1 uncooked chicken or turkey liver, chopped (I don't use this)
10 twigs fresh parsley, chopped fine
dried bread cubes (see note)
¾ T. poultry seasoning
2 t. salt
¼ t. pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups water (or more to make moist stuffing)
Saute onion and celery in butter until slightly cooked but crispy.
Toss parsley, sausage, chicken or turkey liver, bread cubes,
poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
Combine eggs and water.
Lightly toss with bread mixture.
Stuffs a 13 pound turkey.
Or place in a greased casserole dish
and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 to 60 minutes until completely done
(see thermometer note above).
NOTE: slowly bake 25 bread slices at 300 degrees F.
until dry and lightly browned, turning once. Slice into 1" cubes.
.
1 comment:
Hey, except for the celery and the eggs, this is practically the same recipe I use! Grandmothers make the best stuffing, don't they?
My grandmother always just lined her table with paper towels and set the bread out overnight. We'd help flip it once or twice during the evening. Now I just line up my cooling racks and set the bread on that, so the air circulates around the bread.
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