22 November, 2011

Annual Oyster Dressing Roll Out

My parents are just now making their way home from Mexico so yet again it became my job to track down the holiday supply of Chincoteague oysters. Handicap being, I ain't near Chincateague no more. Fortunately, the nice man at Bon Ton Fish Market here in Greenwich had some shipped in just pour moi...

Like I said last year, and the year before that, if I were on death row, and requesting my last meal, at theee very top on the menu would be my family's oyster dressing. And, since we're mere days away from Thanksgiving, I thought I'd reshare the recipe in hopes of giving ya'll enough time to develop a game plan for acquiring your own top notch oysters...




*1 pint Chincoteague oysters, drained and chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 cup butter
8-9 cups hand cubed soft bread crumbs (cheap loaves white bread works best)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage leaves (I am very generous with the sage)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (and, equally as generous with the thyme)

In a large stock pot, cook and stir onion and celery in butter until onion is translucent and tender.

Turn off heat and stir in about half the amount of hand cubed bread crumbs. Turn into a deep bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss.

 Amount of bread cubes used will depend on how moist the oysters are so, add in stages.

Cook in a covered dish At 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*Be sure to use quality, salty oysters (preferably Chincoteague) otherwise it's just not as delish.

Kindness of Lolly, my forever helper, for never thinking any job, including stray celery catcher, too lowly for her...XXOO

16 comments:

  1. I made this last year and it was a complete hit! Mmm, mmm.

    BTW, did you get your new cutting board? Interesting pattern on the one pictured.

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  2. love the way your checked shirt matches your canisters.
    looks good, that delish dish!
    pve

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  3. Okay, even with my shellfish allergy, this sounds amazing, I am willing to risk a trip to the ER to give it a whirl... and the "aint near C no more" reminds me that my sis and I need to do a vlog of us talking like Northern TN rednecks. Glorious!

    xoox

    kHm

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  4. I did get my new teak cutting board and I looove it. Although, that's not it pic'd. Those are photos from last year's oyster dressing making with my old hunk o' junk cutting board from Bed, Bath and Beyond that ruined all my knives...XXOO

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  5. I wish my husband liked oysters. This looks delicious. You added the oysters on the top or do you mix them in too? Happy Thanksgiving! xoxo

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  6. sigh. oyster dressing is a christmas tradition in our family, so i have to wait another month. torture.

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  7. Oyster stuffing is the best...my family's recipe looks very similar to yours. I can't wait for thursday!

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  8. I am making Oysters Jeff-a-peake from my friend Jeff's recipe:
    Oysters, drained.
    Onion
    Bacon
    Cheese, either mozz or cheddar.

    Place an oyster in the bottom of a cupcake pan, place chopped onions over that and then a piece of bacon on top. then put shredded cheese on top to cover and bake. the cheese will melt and cover everything. the bacon is small enough that it will cook as well. i personally cook the onions a little first, and then add them.

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  9. Ooo, this really gets me in the Thanksgiving spirit, because my hubby will be making his oyster stuffing as well!

    And, aside from the delicious recipe, I must ask, where did you get those fabulous bracelets? Gorgeous! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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  10. Merci. It's an Elsa Peretti for Tiffany sterling cuff that's super duper old...XXOO

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  11. Thanks for this recipe! I've never had oyster stuffing, but I think I need to change that.

    Also, your forearms still look very tan. :) I'm envious!

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  12. I so love oyster dressing! Much to my continued disappointment, southerners, especially Texans, are very devoted to their cornbread (ick) stuffing and look at me crazily when I even talk about oyster dressing. One exception is my friend Sally's mother. I have spent the last six Thanksgivings with Sally's family. Sally's mother is a very elegant & gracious Dallas grande dame and when she heard I was coming for their dinner and that I grew up in Baltimore, she proactively made oyster dressing just for me. I adore that woman.

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  13. Love Bon Ton Fish Market & love oysters so this looks like a whole bunch of amazing. xx

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  14. Like you, I grew up eating those oysters too. You should try some of the oysters from Prince Edward Island - especially those from Colville Bay. The water is colder and saltier; the oysters are delicious. You could probably get them easier in Greenwich than we can in VA where the cost is $50/dozen!

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  15. I'll be making your delish recipe for the third straight year this Thanksgiving. It's wonderful and has quickly become a favorite at my house! Thanks again for posting!

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