At Thanksgiving, All Roads Lead Home
Wait, could it be November already? Have we slid from steamy summer right into the holidays?
I come from a family of people with strong opinions, but when it comes to oysters, we can all agree—we gotta have ‘em. They are high on my list right up there with the turkey.
These days, our regional and ethnic lines are blurred as people move around the country and marry different cultures. So, more and more families are experiencing holiday shock: “You want to put sausage in the turkey stuffing?” “You put oysters - seriously, oysters? —in the stuffing?”
Jonathan Swift said it was a bold man who ate the first oyster. And South Carolinians have been boldly eating them for more than a millennia. Yes, it’s true - oysters were once used to serve prisoners. Historians have found ancient shell rings of discarded shells from as many as 4,000 years ago and more.
The South has the most vigorous food traditions in our country and the Southern menu tends to be very distinctive. What will your Thanksgiving dinner be like in 2024? I’m not sure mine will have pumpkin pie, but I’m putting my money on turkey, oysters, and cranberry sauce.
This time of year is all about honoring our roots. Everything seems to center around food and if you want to stay true to American history, you should consider including oysters in your holiday spread.
Heirloom Oyster Stew
Growing up, mother cooked oyster stew for Thanksgiving every year. The key to a good oyster stew is simplicity. The shining star is the oyster liquor, which flavors the cream with an intense briny flavor that needs little adornment. Benne Seeds are heirloom sesame seeds, fragrant and delicious. Add the oysters just before serving, and be careful not to overcook. When the edges begin to curl, they are done.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
6 tablespoons benne seeds or unhulled sesame seeds
1 pint of freshly shucked oysters with their liquor
2 scallions, whites trimmed and chopped
1.4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups bottled clam juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces smoky bacon, diced small
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper
Serve with buttered saltines and oyster crackers
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the benne seeds in a shallow layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until you can smell their fragrance, about 10 minutes. Watch them carefully. All nuts and seeds will benefit from being toasted. Pour onto a plate to cool and set aside.
Drain the oysters and collect their liquid in a large measuring cup. Refrigerate the oysters until needed. Add enough clam juice to the oyster liquor for a total of 2 1/2 cups.
Cook the bacon until browned and crisp, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
Add the chopped scallion, white parts only, celery, and a little salt to the bacon fat and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the scallions and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in the oyster liquor mixture. Cook until smooth, bubbling, and thick, about 8 minutes, stirring continuously.
Stir in the toasted benne and the cream. Cook only until the stew begins to steam, but do not boil.
Taste the stew and add toasted sesame oil to taste. The idea is to enhance the flavor of the toasted seeds. 1 teaspoon sesame oil may be enough.
Add the reserved oysters and cook until their edges begin to curl, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the bacon and a few chopped scallion greens, with lemon wedges and crackers on the side. Serve hot.
Cornbread Oyster Dressing
Wordsmiths would argue about what to call it - stuffing or dressing. South of the Mason-Dixon line, dressing it the name of the game. Oyster Dressing is a tradition along the coast from New England to the Lowcountry and over in the Gulf. It becomes Southern when it includes cornbread. This recipe for cornbread oyster dressing is worthy of a place on your Thanksgiving table. My dad’s family hailed from Norfolk, Virginia and always celebrated with this special oyster dressing. It’s tried and true.
Sometimes he would add chestnuts for their earthy aroma and sweetness in contrast to the natural saltiness of the oysters. Chestnuts are optional.
Serves 8
2 pounds unsweetened cornbread, cut into ½ inch cubes
¾ cup melted unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
2 cups chopped onions, small chop
3 celery ribs, small chop
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 ounces country ham, diced small ( use a good quality ham)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoons fresh ground nutmeg
20 shucked oysters, roughly chopped with liquor reserved
1 cup chicken broth
¾ cup milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons unsalted butter ( I use Irish Grassfed butter for its excellent flavor)
15 roasted chestnuts, peeled and roughly chopped, optional but delicious
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut an X into each chestnut with a small paring knife and roast for 20-25 minutes until you can smell that out-of-this-world earthy aroma. Once cooked, you will need to peel them and remove the inner skin. (Make this a traditional family tradition, but include plenty of extra for snacking - they are hard to resist!)
Toss unsweetened cornbread cubes with melted butter and lay them flat on a baking sheet, crumbs and all. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until a nice golden brown color. (Be sure to use unsweetened cornbread!)
Melt 5 tablespoons good European or Irish butter in a large skillet over low to moderate heat. While stirring occasionally, saute the onions, celery, and garlic until translucent, about 6 minutes.
Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large bowl and add the toasted cornbread, tossing gently to mix. Add the country ham, herbs, spices, and oysters with reserved oyster liquor, and mix gently. (Look for Virginia Country Ham)
Warm the chicken broth and the milk together in a small pot just until simmering. Drizzle over the dressing mixture and fold in. Beat the eggs with a whisk and fold them into the dressing mixture with a spatula.
Lightly butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Transfer the dressing to the baking dish, dot with a few teaspoons of butter, and sprinkle with chestnuts, if using. Do not pack this down, but stack the breadcrumbs loosely.
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Bake until the edges and top are browned, about 30 to 40 minutes, keeping the pan covered with foil for the first half of the baking time. Serve hot.
In the weeks to come I will be sharing special holiday recipes with my paid subscribers. Plan to join the fun and receive my most popular holiday recipes!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!
xxoo Pat