Isa, I sort of wing it.... no 'real' measurements. Here is a link though -Isabella Maja wrote:Judi, would you give us your oyster dressing recipe?
http://groups.msn.com/SouptoNuts/sidedi ... 8179784403
Use that link while you can. Sadly, MSN is closing down their communities. It was a great set up for recipes. They are offering a free migration to another service, which I'll accept... right after I copy all the recipes for safe keeping. I started it a few years ago, when my daughter moved to Denver and would ask me how to make this or that...I figured it would be good to have the ol' stand-bys in a safe place that we could both access.
In my house, it wasn't a turkey if it didn't have oyster dressing. It's an ordeal to make, and a very rich dish, but delicious. The year my mother died, I bought all the ingredients, then decided I couldn't face making it alone. (Mother and I used to get together the day or two before the holiday to make it - it was an all day affair for us, with lunch and lots of laughs. Each of my children had a specific job to do. Regina cleaned the oysters, and Matt cut up the french bread and mixed the ingredients by hand - both messy jobs). My awesome children wouldn't hear of it, and offered to do ALL of the cooking and ALL of the clean up, as long as I supervised. That had to be the best batch of oyster dressing ever!
I don't have exact measurements, because we always added things "till they look right", but here are the basics.
3 loaves of stale french bread, cut into cubes (and all the crumbs it makes when you do that)
3 or 4 pints of oysters, and the liquid!
One stick of butter
One bunch green onions, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 large toes of garlic, chopped
Do not saute these, add them to the bread mixture:
Fresh parsley, chopped.... about 1/2 cup
Thyme (to taste, but be generous)
Two or three beaten eggs
Turkey stock to moisten the mixture
Make this by boiling the neck (I usually buy a pack of necks some to boil, some to simmer in the gravy) and gizzards, celery, onion, salt and pepper
Clean the oysters thoroughly. That means feeling every one of them, taking out the shells and pearls. Reserve ALL the liquid from the oysters. It doesn't look pretty, but it's packed with flavor. After the oysters are cleaned, cut them in four pieces.
If you forgot to buy your french bread two or three days prior to the cooking, just slice it up and stick it in a low oven until the bread is crunchy.
Melt the butter in a cast iron frying pan, and add the veggies, one at a time, slowly saute until they are cooked through. (until the onions are clear) Add the oysters and cook for just a few minutes, until the edges are curled.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread cubes and beaten eggs. (do this with your clean hands, and squish it all evenly together). Add the cooked veggies and any butter that's left in the pan. Combine thoroughly. Add the rest, including just enough turkey stock to make the mixture very moist.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Put in a large corning ware or pyrex dish and bake at 350* uncovered, until the top layer is brown and crusty. I usually take it out then, and mix up the dressing, and put it back in the oven - repeat a few times. Don't dry it out, just get that browned part mixed in. Take it out, cover tightly until you serve it.
This freezes very well, so it can be made prior to the meal. Do NOT microwave it, heat it in the oven for best results.