Oyster Stuffing

Stuff your turkey or fish or just bake up a pan of stuffing on the side. When buying shucked  oysters, buy from a bulk container as opposed to the 8 ounce prepacked jars that have quite a bit of water added which dilutes the flavor. You can also shuck your own but it is not as economical. In this evolving recipe, you can omit flavors that you don't like or even add other ingredients of your own. 

Ingredients

• 1 loaf crusty bread, about 1 pound, cubed

• 1 pound raw shucked oysters with juice

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup celery, finely chopped

• 2 cups sweet onions, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

• 1 tablespoon orange zest

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh ground preferred

• 1 cup lobster or shrimp stock

• 1 egg, well beaten

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

• 1/2 cup dry cranberries 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, toast bread cubes until golden brown.

• Melt butter in pan, add celery and onions, cook for 5 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and add spices. Stir in bread crumbs, oysters, walnuts, and cranberries, toss until stuffing is moist. Stir in stock and egg.

• Stuff the bird or cook in a casserole dish at 350 degree until crusty on the outside, about 30 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!