Herbed Oyster Stuffing Recipes

OYSTER DRESSING (STUFFING)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in the bread crumbs and parsley and remove from the heat. Add the oysters and eggs, and season with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and thyme. Stir in enough liquid from the oysters to moisten and mix everything thoroughly. Transfer to the casserole dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is toasted and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

OYSTER SAUSAGE HERB DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Put cubed Cornbread and Italian bread on 2 separate rimmed baking sheets and bake until very dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool and combine in a large bowl. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until nicely browned and the fat has rendered out, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the sausage fat.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet with the sausage fat. Add the celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 8 minutes. Stir in the sage, thyme, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and garlic and continue cooking and stirring until the herbs are fragrant, 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and add to the bread cubes along with the sausage, vegetables, turkey broth, oysters, oyster liquor and eggs. Season with the salt and black pepper and toss to coat.
• Spread the dressing mixture into the baking dish and bake, covered with foil, 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered until well browned and crusty, about 30 minutes longer.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a large 12-inch cast-iron skillet into the oven.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Combine the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and the eggs in a spouted measuring cup. Whisk the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until just combined.
• Carefully remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven and pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and spread evenly. Bake until the top is browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Let the cornbread cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

SAUSAGE AND OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook and crumble over medium high heat until evenly brown.
• In a large bowl combine the dry bread stuffing with the sausage and pan juices. Stir in the oyster pieces and liquid, chopped celery, chopped onion, and butter.
• Add the broth/liquid a little at a time until the dressing is moist but not soggy. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Refrigerate until cold and stuff in turducken.

FARMHOUSE HERBED STUFFING

Steps:

• In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderate heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking. Stir in onion and celery, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (Vegetables can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before continuing: In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderately high heat, sauté, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.)
• Transfer to large bowl and add stuffing cubes, parsley, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1¼ cups hot stock.
• If using to stuff turkey:
• Use immediately to fill cavities and spread remainder in baking dish as directed in Classic Roast Turkey recipe .
• If baking in a casserole pan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 3-quart casserole or 9-by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and drizzle with ½ cup hot stock (stuffing baked outside of the turkey won't be soaked in the turkey's juices, so extra stock is drizzled on top to keep it moist). Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.
• Variations:
• Sausage and Sage Stuffing: In large, heavy skillet over moderate heat, sauté 1 pound bulk pork sausage, breaking up pieces with spoon, until meat shows no sign of pink, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to large bowl. Proceed with recipe, adding ingredients to bowl with sausage and substituting 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage for dried rosemary and sage.
• Dried Apricot and Pecan Stuffing: Dried fruit are better than fresh in stuffing because the latter get soggy with long baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1½ cups (6 ounces) pecans on rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop. In medium bowl, combine 1½ cups diced dried apricots and hot water to cover. Soak until apricots plump, about 30 minutes, then drain well. Proceed with recipe, tossing apricots and pecans with other ingredients in large bowl.
• Test-Kitchen Tips: Warm, moist stuffing is an optimal environment for bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli to multiply, so it's important to follow safe procedures. Be sure to make the stuffing at the last minute so it can go into the bird warm. This helps it move above the "danger zone" (the optimal temperature range for bacteria growth) more quickly during roasting. Stuffing baked outside of the turkey can be spread in the baking dish and refrigerated for a few hours while the turkey roasts, but it should be prepared on the same day as baking.

HERBED OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325°F. Divide the bread cubes between 2 rimmed baking sheets.Bake for 25 minutes or until the bread cubes are golden. Let the bread cubes cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets on wire racks.Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Cook the bacon in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Pour off any fat. Heat the butter in the saucepan. Add the onions, celery, garlic and thyme and cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the broth and reserved oyster liquid. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the bread cubes, bacon and oysters and mix lightly. Spoon the stuffing mixture into a greased 3 1/2-quart casserole. Cover the casserole.Bake for 30 minutes or until the stuffing mixture is hot.

HERBED OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Spread bread cubes in 2 shallow baking pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes total. Cool bread in pans on racks, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.
• If bacon renders less than 1/4 cup fat, add enough oil to skillet to total 1/4 cup fat. Cook onions, celery, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper in fat in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread cubes, then stir in bacon, parsley, butter, and oysters. Drizzle with stock, then season with salt and pepper and toss well.
• Transfer stuffing to a buttered 3- to 3 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more.

"SIMPLE IS BEST" DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Butter a 13x9x2" baking dish and set aside. Scatter bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool; transfer to a very large bowl.
• Meanwhile, melt 3/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and celery. Stir often until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with bread; stir in herbs, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in 1 1/4 cups broth and toss gently. Let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 1 1/4 cups broth and eggs in a small bowl. Add to bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dressing registers 160°F, about 40 minutes. (Note: Dressing can be made one day ahead up to this point. Uncover the dressing, let cool, then cover again and chill. The next day, proceed with the final bake as described below.)
• Bake dressing, uncovered, until set and top is browned and crisp, 40-45 minutes longer (if chilled, add 10-15 minutes).

ROAST TURKEY WITH HERBED OYSTER STUFFING AND GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• Make the stuffing:
• In 2 shallow baking pans or jelly-roll pans arrange the bread cubes in one layer, bake them in a preheated 325°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden, and transfer them to a large bowl. In a large skillet cook the bacon over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is crisp, transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, and pour off all but about 1/4 cup of the fat. In the fat remaining in the skillet cook the garlic, the onion, and the celery with the thyme and the sage over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and transfer the mixture to the bowl. Add the parsley, the melted butter, the oysters, the bacon, and salt and pepper to taste, toss the stuffing well, and let if cool completely. The stuffing may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. (To prevent bacterial growth do not stuff the turkey cavities in advance.)
• Rinse the turkey, pat it dry, and season it inside and out with salt and pepper. Pack the neck cavity loosely with some of the stuffing, fold the neck skin under the body, and fasten it with a skewer. Pack the body cavity loosely with some of the remaining stuffing and truss the turkey. Transfer the remaining stuffing to a buttered 3-quart baking dish and reserve it, covered and chilled.
• Spread the turkey with 1/2 stick of the butter and roast it on a rack in a roasting pan in a preheated 425°F. oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325°F., baste the turkey with the pan juices, and drape it with a piece of cheesecloth, soaked in the remaining 1 stick butter, melted and cooled. Roast the turkey, basting it every 20 minutes, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the fleshy part of a thigh registers 180°F. and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer. During the last 1 1/2 hours of roasting, drizzle the reserved stuffing with the stock, bake it, covered, in the 325°F. oven for 1 hour, and bake it, uncovered, for 30 minutes more. Discard the cheesecloth and string from the turkey, transfer the turkey to a heated platter, reserving the juices in the roasting pan, keep it warm, covered loosely with foil.
• Make the gravy:
• Skim all of the fat from the roasting pan juices, reserving 1/3 cup of the fat, and add the wine to the pan. Deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits, and boil the mixture until it is reduced by half. In a saucepan combine the reserved fat and the flour and cook the roux over moderately low heat, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the stock and the wine mixture in a stream, whisking, and simmer the gravy, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the reserved cooked giblets and neck meat, chopped, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer the gravy for 2 minutes, and transfer it to a heated sauceboat.
• Garnish the turkey with the parsley and thyme sprigs and serve it with the gravy and the stuffing.