Dad used to make the oyster dressing. In fact, in our house, the bird got stuffed in two places: the front and the back. The large main cavity housed Mom's traditional sage stuffing, while the back end housed the oyster stuffing. As a kid, I always thought of oyster anything as gross! And Dad took great delight in holding up a raw oyster and shaking it at me. Gross!!!!
But a few years ago, I made an oyster stuffing and didn't tell anyone what it was. By gum! It was good, and they all ate it. Of course, I had long since learned to love cooked oysters; it's the raw ones I can't swallow- pun intended.
Anyway, this is Dad's oyster dressing. Mom retained his recipe and passed it on to me.
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, or margarine
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 3/4 cup finely chopped celery with leaves
- 1 pint shucked small oysters, chopped, reserve the liquor*
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- 10 to 12 cups breadcrumbs, softened
- 1/2 to 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, or stock, or part oyster liquid
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery.
- Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until slightly soft
- Add the oysters, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley, then cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add the breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup of chicken broth; stir to blend ingredients.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Add the beaten eggs and mix well, adding more broth to moisten, if necessary.
- Bake in a prepared dish at 350 for around 30-45 minutes or until crispy on top, unless you plan to stuff the birdie butt as Dad did! ;)
*You can buy them by the pint, but don't throw out the juices or the liquor. Make sure to strain it through a fine sieve to ensure all the sand is out and no shells are present.