Dads Oyster Dressing Food

DAD'S OYSTER DRESSING

Steps:

• Open and quarter the oysters. Reserve the liquid.
• Cook rice in boiling salted water till tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, and place in shallow pan. Place pan in a 275 degree F(135 degree C) oven to dry out for a few minutes.
• Saute pork in skillet over medium heat. Remove pork from pan using a slotted spoon. Drain off all but a couple of tablespoons grease.
• Saute onions and celery. Add into this a small amount of oyster liqueur if onions and celery get too dry. Add in oysters with remaining liqueur. Cook 7 - 10 minutes, until oysters curl on edges. Drain this mixture in a colander.
• Combine oyster mixture, rice, sausage, chopped parsley, and seasonings to taste.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) till heated through.

JIM'S OLD FASHIONED OYSTER DRESSING

Steps:

• Spread the bread cubes out onto baking sheets or a work surface, and allow to dry for 24 to 48 hours (longer for a drier dressing).
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion, garlic, and celery until the onions become translucent, about 8 minutes. Pour the vegetables and butter into a large bowl. Lightly mix in the bread cubes, and stir in the oysters and their liquid until thoroughly combined.

OYSTER DRESSING

Steps:

• In a greased casserole pan, place a layer of crumbled crackers, then a layer of oysters (drained but save the liquid), dot with butter and season with salt, pepper or seasoned salt. Repeat layers as desired or based on pan size. For a 9x9 or 9x13 it varies. Usually 3-5 cans of oysters are needed.
• Mom used to include some Ritz crackers but it isn't required. Nothing is exact about the recipe, I just build it in layers until it looks right. Quantities depend on the pan.
• Once you have the layers done, (the top layer should be crushed crackers dotted with butter) pour the oyster liquid and milk/cream back on the creation to moisten. Usually it is a 50/50 mix. I have added some white wine and/or beer (up to ½ cup each). The key is to make sure all the crackers are moist/soggy. You don't want any dry pockets. I usually let it set, covered, in the fridge for a few hours while the other stuff is being prepared. Then you bake at 425 degrees until brown/done (45 min or longer depending on oven).