Ingredients:
- 1 lb. small to medium oysters in their liquor
- 1-1/2 cups cold dry white wine
- 2 baguettes (long French bread) stale, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 5 stalks celery, peeled, split lengthwise
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Preparation:
The bread should be completely stale. If not, spread the cubes on a baking sheet and put in a low oven (250°F) for about 1 hour to dry them out. (This light toasting gives the dressing a better flavor.)
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic, onion, celery and thyme to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes; transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add bread cubes, parsley and sage to the bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and mix with the reserved oyster-infused wine, salt and pepper. Pour this over the stuffing mixture and gently toss all the ingredients; they should combine without mushing. Stir in the drained oysters.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 16-inch baking pan (2 Tbsp). Spread the mixture in the pan and dot with more butter (4 Tbsp). Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to 1 hour; the top should have a nice golden brown crust. Serves 12.
