Back in the Fall of 2014, The New York Times Cooking section featured my Oyster Dressing in their ‘The United States of Thanksgiving’ feature. And every year we have the age old debate of … is it dressing or stuffing?? What say you… dressing or stuffing?

I have included the recipe for you below. 

Let me know if you make it, or if you have a family tradition dressing (or stuffing) that you make at Thanksgiving! Happy cooking this week everybody! May your hearts and tables be full! #GumboLove 

Lucy Buffett’s Oyster Dressing

1 hour 15 minutes

8 to 10 Servings

Ingredients

12 tablespoons or 1 ½  sticks unsalted butter, divided, plus more for baking dish

1 (8-inch-square) baked and cooled cornbread, preferably on the sweet side

15 slices white or wheat bread, toasted and cooled

1/2 large white onion, finely chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1/2 large green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed

2 dozen freshly shucked or jarred oysters, preferably Gulf oysters, drained and coarsely chopped (reserve the oyster liquor)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon hot sauce, preferably Crystal

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon ground sage

1 ½  teaspoons truffle salt or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350°. Butter a 9 x 13“ baking dish.

2. Crumble cornbread into a large bowl. Tear toasted white or wheat bread into very small pieces, add to cornbread, and toss to combine.

3. Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and bell pepper; sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove cover, add broth, and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook mixture for 1 more minute, then remove from heat, add to bread mixture, and stir to combine.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together oysters, lemon juice, hot sauce, parsley, sage, salt and white pepper. Add to bread mixture and stir well to combine. If dressing seems too dry, add a little oyster liquor and up to a  1/2 cup more chicken broth; mixture should be very moist.

5. Pour dressing into greased baking dish. Cut remaining 4 tablespoons butter into small pieces and scatter over top of dressing. Bake until top and sides are browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let me know how it goes. Happy Thanksgiving! Love, LuLu