What We’re CookingThanksgiving Oyster Dressing, courtesy of our good friends Matt and Ted Lee. This recipe was featured in their 2x James Beard Award-winning Lee Bros Southern Cookbook. This is a staple at our Thanksgivings. “This dressing (in the old-fashioned sense of the word) is a great stuffing for poultry: a tasty, homemade cornmeal-and-flour bread tossed with a soupy mixture of onions and celery cooked in butter and oyster liquor. We prepare it most often as a side dish for roast turkey, but it also makes a smashing lunch with poached eggs draped over the top or paired with a simple green salad.” —Matt and Ted INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe Crispy Corn Bread (recipe follows)
1 pint shucked oysters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups chopped celery (about two 12-inch-long stalks)
1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup dry, flavorful white wine, such as Sancerre or Chardonnay
1/2 cup Chicken Broth Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Cut the bread into 1-inch dice and place in an even layer in a 9-inch-square roasting pan. Toast on the top rack of the oven until gently browned, about 8 minutes. Remove and reserve in a large bowl. Drain the oysters over a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan and reserve in a bowl. Add the butter, salt, and pepper to the oyster liquor and cook over medium heat until the butter has melted, about 2 minutes. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and oysters to the bowl of toasted bread and toss gently with a wooden spoon to distribute evenly. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add the wine and broth and whisk to incorporate. Pour the mixture evenly, in a thin stream, over the contents of the oyster bowl and toss again with the wooden spoon. (At this point you may stuff the dressing into a chicken or turkey. This recipe will easily stuff an 18- to 20-pound turkey; if stuffing a smaller bird, bake the excess dressing in a small roasting pan, loaf pan, or skillet.) Transfer the dressing to the roasting pan and bake until the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately. Crispy Corn Bread INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon lard or unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups whole or low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter Preheat the oven to 450°F degrees. Grease a 12-inch skillet with the lard, leaving any excess in the pan, and place it in the oven. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until frothy and then whisk in the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix thoroughly. Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat, and whisk the butter into the batter. When the fat in the skillet is smoking, carefully remove from the oven and swirl the fat around to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Pour the batter into the skillet; it should sizzle. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown and the edge has pulled away from the side of the skillet. Remove from the oven.
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