Shelly's Recipe

OYSTER DRESSING with Variations

Category: Dressing and Stuffing

6 cups French bread, cut into 3/4 -inch cubes
32 cold water oysters, freshly shucked, liquor reserved (or, substitute 1 1/2 pounds frozen crawfish tails)
3/4 cup diced bacon
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
6 tablespoons parsley leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Up to 1 1/2 cups chicken, seafood or vegetable stock, as needed

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until dried and lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.

Shuck the oysters (if using), reserving the oyster liquor. Refrigerate the oysters until ready to combine with the other ingredients.

In a large skillet, sauté the bacon until lightly browned. Add the butter, bell pepper, onions, celery and garlic; sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and white wine and simmer to reduce by one-half. Add the herbs and reserved oyster liquor. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mix the oysters or crawfish with the bread. Add the entire contents of the skillet to the bread mixture, along with salt and pepper to taste. Toss and fold to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Add stock, as needed, to moisten the mixture; it should be pretty wet (like a wet sponge) after soaking up the liquids.

Spray with nonstick cooking spray an 8x12-inch casserole or oblong casserole that holds 9 to 12 cups. Fill the casserole with the dressing mixture. It may be prepared up to this point one week in advance, covered tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and frozen. Defrost the dressing by transferring it to the refrigerator the day before Thanksgiving.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 45 to 60 minutes, or until heated through (about 130 F to 140 F internal temperature); it should be moist inside, and the top should be golden and lightly crisped. Makes 6 to 8 servings.


Variations
Sausage-Mushroom Dressing: Substitute 1 1/2 pounds each of crumbled sausage and sliced mushrooms for the oysters. Cook them, separately in a skillet before using in main recipe, adding butter and olive oil to the mushrooms as needed.

Sausage-Chestnut Dressing: Substitute 1 1/2 pounds cooked crumbled sausage and 12 ounces jarred, halved chestnuts for the oysters.