Thanksgiving 2015: The BLT Oyster Stuffing

Bon Appétit (November 2015)

No, there's no bacon-lettuce-tomato in this oyster stuffing. (Yes, that was our first question, too.)

What there is, however, is bacon, leeks and thyme. And that combo helps create a stuffing that is exceedingly tasty.

Growing up in the South, neither of us ever saw oyster stuffing on the Thanksgiving table. Thanksgiving stuffing for us tended to be cornbread-based and flavored with sage -- and always called "dressing" and baked in a Pyrex, thank you very much.

But we've made an oyster stuffing a couple times in the past and enjoyed it. This year at our Fakesgiving preview meal, we tried three different stuffings, including this one.

And this was decidedly our favorite.

This recipe is actually part of a cool stuffing matrix in Bon Appétit, which includes 26 different ingredients you can mix and match to create your own twist. Bon App has some suggested combos, including this one. 

What we really love about this was the density of it. It's super moist and thick. Maybe you prefer a dryer, "breadier" stuffing, but we really loved the texture of this.

We also liked the subtlety of the oysters. One of the oyster dressings we've made in the past hit you over the head with oyster flavor. This one doesn't. It's got just enough brininess to make it interesting and delicious.

Whether you grew up eating oysters at Thanksgiving or not, this is a great stuffing. (Whether a bacon-lettuce-and-tomato oyster stuffing would be any good is a completely different question. We'll leave that one up to you.)

 

More:

• 2015's biggest Thanksgiving food trends
• The comprehensive 2015 Thanksgiving recipe index

   

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The BLT Oyster Stuffing
Bon Appétit (November 2015), recipe by Claire Saffitz
Subscribe to Bon Appétit

(This photo: Alex Lau/Bon Appétit)

Servings: 8

NOTE FROM ZACH AND CLAY

This recipe calls for "12 ounces oysters, freshly shucked," but when we went to the seafood counter at the supermarket, we were encouraged to buy oysters already shucked that are sold in a little clear plastic tub -- at our supermarket they're sold at the seafood counter. They seemed to work well for this recipe. 

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided, plus more
1 loaf white Pullman bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups), dried out overnight
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces bacon or pancetta, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry Sherry
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 cups turkey or chicken stock (preferably homemade), plus more
12 ounces oysters, freshly shucked

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a shallow 3-qt. baking dish and a sheet of foil. Place bread in a very large bowl.

 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 7–10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread with a slotted spoon.

 

Add onions, celery, leek, and thyme to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and soft, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread.

 

Reduce heat to medium and cook Sherry in skillet, scraping up any browned bits, until almost all evaporated, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup butter; cook, stirring, until melted.

 

Drizzle over bread mixture.

 

Whisk eggs and 2 cups stock in a medium bowl; pour over bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper, add oysters, and toss, adding more stock ¼-cupful at a time as needed (you may not use it all), until combined and bread is hydrated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and dot with remaining ¼ cup butter.

 

Cover with buttered foil; bake until a paring knife inserted into the center comes out hot, 30–35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

 

Do Ahead: Stuffing can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.