Stuff It

This is a recipe from an Eighties issue of Homemakers magazine. My mom
still has the original tear out its in poor shape because this recipe
gets used multiple times a year. If you cant find any fresh oysters (or
arent much good at shucking) then you can replace them with scallops.
And we prefer to cook the stuffing in a separate dish so that you can
make more. In our family, we do a small bird and a huge stuffing,
because this stuff is so good, it ends up being the main focus of the
meal.

Most grocery stores will order in fresh oysters for you, and you can get
them in a plastic pot, which saves you the hassle of shucking. We triple
this recipe and cook it in a casserole dish when it is a meal for 12-15
people and that always guarantees enough leftover. Like most good foods,
this also tastes very good the day after.

Oyster Stuffing
2 cups (500ml) oysters
cup butter
cup
finely chopped onion
cup finely chopped celery
6 cups white bread
crumbs (use slightly stale bread, and I tend to tear pieces of bread
into small pieces, rather than actually crush it into crumbs.)
2
tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
teaspoon
thyme
Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over high heat, when
foaming add chopped onion and celery. Turn the heat down to medium-high
and sauté vegetables until golden and translucent. Transfer to a large
mixing bowl.
Place oysters in a small bowl and strain the liquor
through a sieve lined with a damp cheesecloth into the skillet. Add
oysters and simmer gently until edges curl, about 3 minutes. Remove with
a slotted spoon and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size. Add
to vegetables, toss with bread crumbs, then add remaining ingredients
with just enough oyster liquor to hold together.
At this stage, you
can stuff it into a bird, or as we prefer, put it into a casserole dish
and cook it for around one hour at 350. The top gets a little crispy but
the stuffing should be really moist. I am getting hungry just thinking
about this

Yum and Happy Thanksgiving!