Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe (2024)

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Daniel Gritzer

Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe (1)

Daniel Gritzer

Senior Culinary Director

Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.

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Updated November 04, 2020

Why It Works

  • Oysters add a savory, briny flavor to the stuffing without making it overly seafood-y.
  • Drying the bread allows it to absorb more flavorful moisture, like chicken stock and oyster liquor.
  • Fennel and tarragon blend beautifully with the oysters.

Adding oysters to Thanksgiving stuffing may sound like an odd choice, but it's a practice with a long history and delicious results. Here, raw chopped oysters are mixed with oven-dried wheat bread, sausage, and aromatic vegetables and herbs. The oysters add a wonderful savory flavor and subtle brininess.

Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe (2)

Southern Cornbread Dressing With Oysters and Sausage Recipe

Recipe Details

Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe

Active60 mins

Total2 hrs 30 mins

Serves8to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (1 kg; about 2 loaves) high-quality sandwich bread or soft Italian or French bread, cut into 3/4-inch dice, about 5 quarts

  • 1 stick unsalted butter (113g), plus more for greasing dish

  • 1 pound (500g) sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups; 300g)

  • 2 large stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup; 200g)

  • 1/2 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped (about 1 cup; 200g)

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons; 10g)

  • 1 teaspoon mincedfresh thyme leaves

  • 3 cupshomemade chicken stockor low-sodium broth (700ml), divided

  • 3 large eggs

  • 2 tablespoons mincedfresh tarragon

  • 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley leaves (about 1/4 ounce; 8g), divided

  • 2 cups raw oysters and their liquor (470ml; about 32 medium oysters), oysters chopped (see notes)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Preheat oven to 275°F. Spread bread evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Stagger sheets on oven racks and bake until bread is completely dried, about 50 minutes total, rotating sheets and stirring bread cubes several times during baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.

  2. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming subsides, without allowing butter to brown, about 2 minutes. Add sausage and mash with stiff whisk or potato masher to break up into fine pieces (largest pieces should be no bigger than 1/4 inch). Cook, stirring frequently, until only a few bits of pink remain, about 8 minutes. Add onion, celery, fennel, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add half of chicken stock.

    Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe (3)

  3. Whisk remaining chicken stock, eggs, tarragon, and 3 tablespoons parsley in a medium bowl until hom*ogeneous. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, slowly pour egg mixture into sausage mixture. Add bread cubes, oysters, and oyster liquor and fold gently until evenly mixed. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

    Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe (4)

  4. Transfer stuffing to a buttered 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking dish (or 10- by 14-inch oval dish) and bake until browned on top and an instant read-thermometer reads 150°F when inserted into center of dish, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve.

    Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe (5)

Special equipment

Two rimmed baking sheets, 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking dish (or 10- by 14-inch oval dish), stiff wire whisk or potato masher, instant-read thermometer

Notes

You can shuck your own fresh oysters (see the video above for instructions), ask your fishmonger to do it, or buy containers of raw shucked oysters. Our tests showed that the stuffing tastes just as good with pre-shucked oysters as with freshly shucked. The easiest way to chop the oysters is to snip them in a container using kitchen shears; that way you don't lose their juices to the cutting board.

This Recipe Appears In

  • Want the Best Thanksgiving Stuffing? Consider the Oyster
  • Sides
  • Thanksgiving Stuffings
  • Savory
  • Sausages
  • Oysters
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
591Calories
21g Fat
63g Carbs
37g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8to 10
Amount per serving
Calories591
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g27%
Saturated Fat 9g46%
Cholesterol 175mg58%
Sodium 1387mg60%
Total Carbohydrate 63g23%
Dietary Fiber 3g12%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 17mg86%
Calcium 116mg9%
Iron 12mg69%
Potassium 727mg15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Oyster Stuffing With Fennel, Tarragon, and Sausage Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do people put oysters in stuffing? ›

Why It Works. Oysters add a savory, briny flavor to the stuffing without making it overly seafood-y. Drying the bread allows it to absorb more flavorful moisture, like chicken stock and oyster liquor.

How do you know when stuffing is cooked? ›

The stuffed meat, poultry, or stuffing in a casserole should be placed immediately after preparation in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

Why can't you make stuffing ahead of time? ›

You haven't said whether you are going to cook the stuffing inside the bird or out, but it's fine to make almost any stuffing a few hours before you'll need it. The important thing is to keep it properly chilled so that bacteria won't have a chance to grow in it.

Why put eggs in stuffing? ›

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.

Where is oyster stuffing from in America? ›

The history of Oyster Dressing dates back over 300 years ago. This savory side dish was brought to America by the British colonists. At the time, oysters were quite plentiful and could be easily gathered along the shoreline. This Thanksgiving side is still quite popular.

What is the green stuff in canned oysters? ›

Green or blue or brown colouring is usually filtered matter - it's what they've been eating. Green is supposedly the most highly prized for taste. The green-coloured organ in the interior of bivalve molluscs (oysters, mussels, clams, scallops) is the hepatopancreas.

What happens if you don't cook stuffing? ›

It Could Give You Salmonella Poisoning

If that stuffing doesn't reach 165 degrees F, the bacteria won't be killed off, meaning you're passing it on to your guests.

How do you keep stuffing moist when baking? ›

What makes this stuffing so moist is the fact that it's cooked with both broth and butter. I think that helps to keep things moist and not dried out, without leaving you with soggy stuffing as well.

Is it better to make stuffing the day before? ›

The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes. "Making stuffing ahead saves time, allows stove and oven space for other things, and making it ahead gives time for the flavor to fully develop," Chef David Tiner, Director at Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, tells Southern Living.

Why is stuffing not healthy? ›

Typically high in fat, carbs and salt, stuffing can be made fresh or purchased chilled, frozen or dehydrated. Traditionally, a stuffing would use the giblets of the bird with the addition of sausage meat, a source of starch, such as bread, with some aromatics such as onion, herbs and spices.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate? ›

If you don't plan on stuffing the bird, but preparing the dressing as a side dish, you can prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time as long as you freeze the stuffing immediately after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing.

Can you leave cooked stuffing out overnight? ›

If turkey, stuffing, or gravy is left out at room temperature (40 to 140°F) for over 2 hours it may no longer be safe to eat. Bacteria prospers at this temperature, increasing the risk of foodborne illness.

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Classic stuffing made with bread cubes, seasonings, and held together with chicken stock and eggs. A holiday staple!

What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing? ›

16 egg substitutes
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

Why is turkey stuffing so good? ›

When made from scratch and seasoned right, it is rich, moist and savory, shot through with different textures and flavors that give cooks plenty of room to play. That basic amalgamation of starch, fat and aromatics is indisputably delicious.

Why were oysters used to stuff turkeys? ›

The British brought the tradition of oyster stuffing to the colonies. In 1685, a British cookbook mentioned stuffing poultry or fish with oysters. Since oysters were plentiful (and extremely cheap) in the New World, they were used by the poor or laborers to stretch their meager meat rations.

Are oysters traditional for Thanksgiving? ›

While oysters aren't commonly associated with a Thanksgiving feast, they actually played a larger role in the origination of the holiday than you'd think. The mollusks were likely feature prominently on the tables of early American settlers, unlike a turkey.

What do people use canned oysters for? ›

Here are more than a few samples of what you can do with canned oysters, many of which I've prepared and served in restaurants.
  • Oyster ice cream. Fhuseynli/Shutterstock. ...
  • Carpet bag steak. Fanfo/Shutterstock. ...
  • Oyster stew. ...
  • Smoked oyster dip. ...
  • Oyster chowder. ...
  • Fried. ...
  • Salad dressing. ...
  • Seafood salad (Insalata di Mare)
Mar 5, 2024

What is the point of raw oysters? ›

Raw oysters are also an abundant source of several vitamins and minerals. They're a particularly good source of vitamin B12, which research has indicated plays a big role in keeping your brain healthy. Other micronutrients include: Vitamin D.

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