Oyster Dressing

In addition to our traditional chicken and dressing, I baked a skillet of oyster dressing, too!  I was fortunate enough to find some Bon Secour oysters.  There were several at our table who had never tried this before and they all enjoyed the new item on the menu!

1 loaf French bread, tear it into bite sized pieces and let air dry over night
16 oz. container of fresh oysters, drained and chopped (save the oyster liquor!)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced (green and white parts)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. Tony's Creole Seasoning
1/4 t. cayenne
1 T. dried thyme
1/2 T. rubbed sage
1/4 cup chopped parsley
reserved oyster liquor
16 oz. chicken stock (hot)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil.  Add the onions, bell pepper and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent.  Add green onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add seasonings and cook for another minute. 

In a large bowl, mix together the French bread and the contents of the skillet.  Stir to coat the bread.  Add the oyster liquor and 8 oz of the stock.  Add remaining stock very slowly until you have a very moist dressing. 

Over low heat, add the chopped oysters to the skillet and cook for a minute or so until the oysters are just cooked through.  Add them to the dressing mixture and carefully mix. 

Bake at 375 degrees in a greased cast iron skillet for about 40 - 45 minutes.