I had this dressing while spending Thanksgiving in New Orleans a few years ago and it blew my mind.
I always wanted to try it but wasn’t brave enough because it sounded hard to make but was actually a piece of cake and was the best dressing I have ever had. I wanted to share this special recipe with you if you are feeling adventurous!
Here is what you will need:
6 tbsp unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
¼ lb firm, smoky baked ham, diced
2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 bunch green onions, including tender green parts, thinly sliced
1¼ tsp fried thyme
5 cups crumbled day old buttermilk corn bread (recipe to below)
4 cups torn-up and slightly dry white bread
18 oysters, freshly shucked and oyster liquor (pour out the liquid from all of the oysters into a bowl)
2 cups low sodium canned chicken stock (broth)
3 eggs, well beaten
Salt and freshly ground pepper
BUTTERMILLK CORN BREAD:
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1½ cups buttermilk at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature, well beaten
Preheat the oven to 400. Grease a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. In a large bow, thoroughly stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter until just combined. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spread the batter in the pan.
Bake until the edges of the corn bread are just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean about 18-20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for at least 5 minutes, then, placing a baking sheet over the pan, carefully invert the pan and sheet and let the cornbread fall onto the sheet. Cut into squares. *great to cook ahead of time!
In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the 6 tbsp butter. Add the ham and sauté until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Add the yellow onion, bell peppers, green onions, and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss together the corn bread, white bread and ham mixture with any juices from the pan.
Place a sieve over a measuring pitcher, and strain the oyster liquor through it. Add enough chicken stock to the oyster liquor to equal 2 cups. Combine this liquid and the eggs and pour over the bread mixture. Add 1 tsp salt and ¾ tsp pepper and stir again.
To bake the dressing alongside the turkey in a 325 oven, position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spoon half of the dressing into the prepared dish. Space the oysters evenly over the dressing without letting them touch the side of the baking dish. Spoon the remaining dressing over the oysters evenly. Bake until the dressing is steaming and the top is lightly browned, about an hour. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve hot.
To bake the dressing in the turkey, mix the oysters into the bread mixture. Loosely stuff the turkey with the dressing and truss (tie with string) the opening by the legs. Increase the roasting time of the turkey by 35-45 minutes. Generously butter a baking dish and spoon in the remaining dressing. Bake uncovered until the dressing is steaming and the top is lightly browned, about 1 hour, depending on the size of the baking dish. Serve hot.
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