Meme’s Cornbread and Oyster Dressing

Serves 8 to 10

November and December are the perfect time of year for oysters, as tradition dictates to primarily consume them in the months that end in R. The R-month dictum isn’t, or at least didn’t used to be, a mere superstition. The summer months, all without an R, is when oysters spawn, making them flabbier and far less palatable.

My grandmother, whom I called Meme, would occasionally make this seafood stuffing as a celebration for the holidays, a holdover, I believe, from the days before consistent shipping and refrigeration, when enjoying oysters was a special treat. It seems most Southerners “dress” instead of “stuff,” meaning we cook the dish outside the turkey instead of stuffing the bready mixture inside the bird. If you buy cornbread as a timesaver instead of making it from scratch, make sure the cornbread you purchase is made without sugar.

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pint shucked oysters, cleaned of shells and debris
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock or reduced-fat low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 4 cups day-old Brown Butter and Thyme Whole-Grain Cornbread
• 1 pound country white bread, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat the oven to 350°F. Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, grease an ovenproof gratin or casserole dish.

2 Drain the oysters in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, reserving the oyster liquor. Measure the liquid and add stock to make at least 2½ cups liquid.

3 Coarsely chop the oysters into ½-inch pieces. Set aside. Combine the cornbread and cubed bread in a large bowl.

4 Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the bread mixture. Pour the stock mixture over the bread and add the chopped oysters, eggs, sage, and thyme. The mixture should be fairly soupy. Season with salt and pepper. (If you want to taste and adjust for seasoning, simply zap a teaspoon or so of the mixture in a bowl in the microwave to cook the eggs and season as needed.)

5 Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into bits and dot them over the dressing. Bake until heated through, puffed, and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.