12 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
2 pints fresh oysters (In their liquid)
Cornbread (Recipe link is at the bottom)
Salted butter
Seasonings
1 yellow onion
Celery
Green bell pepper
Garlic
Fresh parsley
Salt
Black pepper
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Chef Paul’s seafood magic
Granulated onion
Granulated garlic
Rubbed sage
Dried thyme
Tools you’ll need
9 by 13-inch glass or metal pan
Mesh strainer
Preparation of ingredients
Seasonings
Step 1- Chop half of a yellow onion, 2 or 3 ribs celery, half of a green bell pepper and a 2 ounces fresh parsley until minced. Press 3 cloves of garlic with a garlic press. Make sure you rinse off the celery, green bell pepper and parsley before chopping.
Cornbread
Step 2- Crumble cornbread into a large bowl until it resembles coarse crumbs. Once done you should have 8 and 1/2 cups, that’s 2 pounds and 4 ounces in weight of cornbread crumbs.
Oysters and oyster liquor
Step 3- Add 2 pints of oysters into a mesh strainer with a small bowl underneath it. Stir the oysters with a spatula or spoon while in the mesh strainer for 8 to 10 minutes. As you stir the oysters, the oyster liquor will drain into the bowl underneath the mesh strainer. Once done you should have 2 cups oyster liquor left over.
Making and assembling the dressing
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Very important note- Do not test the dressing at any point prior to adding the oysters and the oyster liquor. The mixture will be uncooked.
Step 4- Add 5 tablespoons salted butter, 1 and 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion, 1 and 1/4 cups chopped celery and 2/3 cup chopped green bell pepper into a large pot. Stir all ingredients together. Let saute for 10 to 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
Step 5-Add 2 pints oysters (Drained), 3 cloves pressed garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 2 teaspoons chef Paul’s seafood magic, 2 teaspoons granulated onion, 2 teaspoons granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and 2 teaspoons rubbed sage. Stir all ingredients together. Let saute for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
After 2 minutes turn your fire off.
Step 6- Add half of the crumbled cornbread and stir until combined. Add the 2nd half of crumbled cornbread and stir until combined. Add 2 cups oyster liquor and stir until the cornbread is moistened and the mixture starts to come together.
Baking the dressing
Spread 1/2 tablespoon salted butter along the bottom and sides of your baking pan.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Step 7- Add prepared cornbread dressing into the baking pan. Spread the dressing around as evenly as possible with a spoon or spatula. Lightly sprinkle some bread crumbs, dried thyme and rubbed sage on top of the dressing.
Step 8- Place into a preheated 375-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 40 minutes. Once the baking time had ended remove the dressing from the oven. Let the dressing cool for 1 to 2 hours before serving. For best results, serve the dressing the next day so the flavors can settle and increase overnight.
YouTube instructional video
