Sides › Uncle Frank's Oyster Stuffing

Serves 12-15

• 2 large white onions, finely chopped
• 6-10 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 bunches green onions (scallions), sliced thin (green part too)
• 1 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced (leaves only)
• 1 pt good strong olive oil
• 2 loaves stale po-boy French bread, cubed (French baguette)
• 8-10 doz large freshly shucked unwashed oysters and their water
• 1 tsp dried thyme and a few fresh sprigs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• few drops of Kitchen Bouquet

1. Simmer oysters in their water for about 5 minutes until their edges curl.
2. Add 4-5 sprigs of fresh time to oysters.
3. Tear french bread into bite size pieces and place in large bowl.
4. Drain oysters over bread so that the oyster juice goes into the bowl with the bread.
5. Remove sprigs of thyme and add oysters to bread (if oysters are large you can chop in half).
6. In a saute pan coat bottom with olive oil and saute white onion until translucent, 3-5 minutes, then add to bread and oyster mixture.
7. Coat bottom of pan with olive oil again and add green onions, parsley and garlic and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes, then add to bread and oyster mixture.
8. Add salt, dried thyme and lemon pepper and mix well.
9. In the same skillet that the onions were sauteed in, add more olive oil and fry the dressing in small batches on a high fire for about 5 minutes, adding a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet to each batch.
10. Spread the cooked dressing in a large baking pan and cool completely.  Refrigerate until ready to bake.
11. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes until browned.

Notes & Suggestions

• Before serving, spoon some of the turkey drippings over the casserole
• This freezes well and improves in flavor by making it a couple of days ahead of serving
• If you want t make this ahead and freeze it, prepare the Oyster Dressing up to the point of frying it in batches and spreading it in a baking pan, cool completely, wrap tightly first in plastic wrap and then in fol. Defrost in the refrigerator the night before you want to serve it.  Remove all wrappings and bake as directed