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

  • Sides
  • Thanksgiving Stuffings
  • Savory
  • Sausages
  • Oysters

By

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.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

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
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.

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.

How to make stuffing for turkey Martha Stewart? ›

Preparation. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, pears, onions and celery, and sauté until translucent and softened, about 10 minutes. To a large mixing bowl, add the fruit-aromatics mixture, cubed bread, eggs and Bell's seasoning, and mix to combine.

How many oysters do I need for two people? ›

In a restaurant setting, Murray recommends ordering 6 oysters per person, which could be great for an appetizer.

Why do they say not to chew oysters? ›

It's a common misconception that you should swallow an oyster whole. Chewing an oyster is the best way to enjoy the full flavor profile. Savor the oyster and take your time chewing before you swallow.

Are you supposed to cook the stuffing before putting it in? ›

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don't stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing's center needs to reach 165 F.

How do you keep stuffing moist when cooking? ›

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

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

Some common egg substitutes include:
  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. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or dry bread? ›

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

Should stuffing be cold when putting in turkey? ›

Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey. Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 165 degree mark. If the bird is done before the stuffing, remove stuffing from the cavities and continue to cook in a baking dish.

Why is my turkey stuffing soggy? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

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 is the purpose of oyster sauce? ›

Oyster sauce adds a savory flavor to many meat and vegetable dishes. The sauce is a staple for much Chinese family-style cooking. It is commonly used in noodle stir-fries, such as chow mein. It is also found in popular Chinese-American dishes such as beef with stir-fried vegetables.

What is the point of eating oysters? ›

Oysters are a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins while being low in carbohydrates. Oysters help regulate blood pressure and improve blood circulation, which gives an overall good feeling. Oysters are often regarded as an aphrodisiac (stimulates sex drive).

Why were oysters used to stuff turkeys? ›

Many early American cooks stuffed their turkeys and chicken with oysters since it was an inexpensive source of protein. Turkeys were very expensive and adding the oysters helped ensure there was enough protein to feed a large group.

References

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