Family Recipe Friday: Oyster Dressing

Today's recipe comes via an email from my mother, regarding her mother's recipe:

Bonnie  (Lambertson) Wright made oyster dressing at Thanksgiving especially for her husband, Bill.   He had acquired a taste for them while stationed in Biloxi Miss during WW II.  Bill like it so much that he would pick out the oysters of the dressing and eat them so Bonnie started chopped them up much to his dismay.  I make it each year in memory of dad and to carry on the family tradition.  Weldon is the only one who enjoys eating oyster dressing. In fact, he and I are about the only ones who eat dressing at Thanksgiving.   I prefer a sausage & cornbread stuffing.  

While this is not the one Bonnie used, it is very similar.  I cut this recipe in half when making it forThanksgiving.    

    1 pint oysters, drained; reserve liquid                       
    1 medium onions, chopped                                       
    2 stalks celery, chopped                                       
    6 tablespoons butter                                           
    8 slices stale bread, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces               
    1/2 teaspoon thyme                                             
    1/4 teaspoon sage                                              
    2 tablespoons lemon juice                                      
    Salt and peper                       

                          

Saute onion and celery in butter until soft, about 3-5 minutes.   Add bread cubes and saute until browned, about 7 minutes.   Remove from heat and add herbs and oysters that have been sprinkled with lemon juice.   Fold in gently, adding some of the reserved oyster liquid for a more moist stuffing.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  


Bake in a greased 1-quart casserole dish at 350 for 25 minutes.   Makes 4 cups.




Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it’s an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.