Northern California Oyster Stuffing Recipes

OYSTER AND BACON STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Spread out the bread on 2 baking sheets; bake until dried out, about 1 hour, rotating the baking sheets as needed.
• Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup of the drippings, leaving about 1/2 cup in the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1 1/2 cups stock. Add the marjoram and set aside.
• Whisk the remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and the eggs in a large bowl. Add the scallions, parsley, Old Bay, oysters with their liquor and the vegetable-bacon mixture. Add the bread and mix until most of the liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the parmesan and bake until browned on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Put the oysters in a strainer over a medium bowl to catch their liquor. Reserve 3/4 cup of the oyster liquor. In a large bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread and oysters.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the bacon and cook for 1 minute. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Melt 1/2 cup of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the bacon, shallot, celery, salt, and season with pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, reserved oyster liquor, and vermouth and bring to a boil. Transfer the shallot-herb mixture to the cornbread and oysters and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Transfer the cornbread mixture to a buttered 1-quart gratin dish, dot with the remaining butter, and bake until browned and crusty, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
• Butter a 3 1/4 x 5 3/4 x 2-inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and combine with the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and mix lightly with a rubber spatula until a thick batter is formed. Stir in the melted butter until just incorporated.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool.
• Yield: 1 small loaf of cornbread

OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, and set aside.
• Sprinkle a layer of crushed soda crackers on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of oysters, along with their juices, on top of the crackers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with a few pats of butter. Repeat, beginning with another layer of crackers. Top with a final layer of soda crackers and then pour the cream over everything. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and paprika. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

LUCY BUFFETT'S OYSTER DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by 13-inch baking dish.
• Crumble cornbread into a large bowl. Tear toasted white or wheat bread into very small pieces, add to cornbread, and toss to combine
• Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and bell pepper; sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove cover, add broth, and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook mixture for 1 more minute, then remove from heat, add to bread mixture, and stir to combine.
• In a medium bowl, stir together oysters, lemon juice, hot sauce, parsley, sage, salt and white pepper. Add to bread mixture and stir well to combine. If dressing seems too dry, add a little oyster liquor and up to 1/2 cup more chicken broth; mixture should be very moist.
• Pour dressing into greased baking dish. Cut remaining 4 tablespoons butter into small pieces and scatter over top of dressing. Bake until top and sides are browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

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.

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 STUFFING

Steps:

• In a small skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender; transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the parsley, poultry seasoning, sage and pepper. Add bread cubes. Combine the egg, broth and oysters; add to bread mixture, stirring gently to combine. , Transfer to a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 160° and stuffing is lightly browned.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA OYSTER STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until dry but not colored, about 15 minutes. Transfer bread to very large bowl. Add spinach to bread.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add minced shallots, chopped celery and garlic and sauté until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir vegetables into bread mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add oysters and sauté 2 minutes. Mix oysters and 2 tablespoons tarragon into stuffing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.
• To bake stuffing in turkey:
• Mix 1/3 cup chicken broth into stuffing. Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into remaining stuffing to moisten (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup broth, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover stuffing and bake until top is crisp, about 20 minutes.
• To bake all stuffing in pan:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil and bake until stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover stuffing and bake until top is crisp, about 20 minutes.