Why This Old-School Holiday Seafood Dish Became A Mainstay In Southern Homes
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When you whip up your stuffing (or dressing, depending on what you call it) for your holiday table, what will you put inside it? We've heard of upgrading boxed stuffing mix with chorizo, and that's pretty darn tasty, but, in certain Southern households, festive occasions mean oyster stuffing. If you grew up along the seaboard south of the Mason-Dixon line, there's a strong chance that your Thanksgiving or Christmas stuffing was oyster-based ... and that's not just a matter of coincidence.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, oysters were inexpensive and plentiful in many places, including the Northeast. They were enjoyed by both rich and poor families and were guzzled by the buckets ... to the point, in fact, that overfishing eventually made oysters harder to come by. As the years went on, oyster cultivation moved southward, and America began plumbing the oyster reefs of the southern coastline. Eventually, the oyster tradition took deeper root in the South. As oysters were readily available, it made sense to use them to fill out stuffing, helping oyster dressing take root in Southern culinary tradition.
Several tragedies had negative impacts on the American oyster industry, like bad weather and widespread diseases that affected many of the long list of oyster types. Thankfully, as the 21st century dawned, advances in conservation and responsible farming made oysters more widely viable again. Nowadays, Southern households — or, indeed, households all over the country! — are free to enjoy this delicious, festive side dish.
Oyster stuffing is easy to whip up and versatile, too
If you have a source for good-quality oysters, you likely have almost everything you need to make a delicious oyster stuffing that will complement whatever roast beast you've cooked up for the holidays. A great oyster dressing doesn't need many fancy ingredients; just stale bread of your choice (cornbread is a quintessential Southern option!), onion, celery, bell pepper, and mushroom are classic components. You may also want some stock to moisten and homogenize your dressing to taste. Simply sauté your veggies in butter, add your oysters and bread, moisten to the desired consistency, and bake until golden. Many swear by Cajun seasoning as the spicy, delicious extra that your stuffing needs for some additional character.
We've also seen Cajun seasoning omitted in favor of salt, pepper, and sage for a more neutral flavor, along with the possibility of evaporated milk as a binder for the stuffing. Will you potentially add eggs to make your dressing more custardy? The choice is yours. In a take that might be controversial, some Southern cooks like to use cornbread that's sweetened with a bit of sugar, as they enjoy the taste that's imparted in their dressing. No matter how you make your own spin on stuffing, simply pick a great wine pairing for oysters and prepare for a new star on your holiday table!
@doseofvera How to make Oyster stuffing! Whats a thanksgiving without stuffing right??