Granny's Oyster Dressing

[Brad Mercer]

My mother married my father when she was 16 years old. They lived with my dad's parents and his mother's mother until I was 7 years old. My grandmother taught my mother to cook. One of my favorite old family recipes is the Thanksgiving dressing Mama makes every year. Daddy talks about his mother always buying an extra can of oysters so she could eat one can while she was cooking with the other two. Since most of my family doesn't care for oysters, Mama usually winds up making two batches: one with and one without the oysters.

Anyway, I didn't get Mama's oyster dressing for Thanksgiving this year, our first in Australia. So yesterday I e-mailed her asking for the recipe, so I won't have to do without again. She's not much of a typist, so I don't know if the recipe makes sense or works, yet. I just got it and haven't really looked closely or tried to make it yet. But it's a recipe that's been handed down for generations now in our family, and all other dressings or stuffings pale into tasteless insignificance by comparison. So I thought I should share it with all my NazNet buddies, whom I love.

Here is her e-mail, in its entirety. (My kids call her Granny.)

HERE GOES,
ONE HEN
ONE LARGE PAN CORNBREAD
FOUR TO SIX SLICE OF WHITE BREAD
ONE LARGE ONION
SIX RIBS OF CELERY
THREE GARLIC BUDS
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
SAGE TO TASTE
FOUR TO FIVE RAW EGGS
TWO CANS OF OYSTERS
CRUMBLE CORNBREAD, TOAST WHITE BREAD AND CRUMBLE, CHOP ONION, CELERY AND GARLIC. COOK HEN AND DEBONE HAVE PLENTY OF BROTH SALT AND PEPPER , SAGE ADD EGGS, OYSTERS. MIX ALL TOGETHER COOK@ 350 FOR 35 TO 45 MIN
LOVE YOU ALL GRANNY
ENJOY!

[Michael B. Ross]

Oh, Brad. You have managed to lure me out of the lurking stage. Due to being so busy, I have not posted much the last few weeks. You, however, have hit a button demanding a response.

Oyster dressing? There is nothing better. When I think T'giving meal, I don't imagine pumpkin pies or cranberry something or another. I don't even consider turkey. I focus first and only on oyster dressing.

My wife makes it every year, and my motto is: "An oyster in every bite." She has it mastered, and I absolutely love it.

Now, I will go back to my silent mode. Thanks for a nice post.

PS, I never would have imagined how great a sacrifice you would pay to obey the call of God. Just remember, though, there will be no more tears and sorrows over there, and the Lamb's great supper will feature your grandmother's and my wife's oyster dressing.

My mother married my father when she was 16 years old. They lived with my dad's parents and his mother's mother until I was 7 years old. My grandmother taught my mother to cook. One of my favorite old family recipes is the Thanksgiving dressing Mama makes every year. Daddy talks about his mother always buying an extra can of oysters so she could eat one can while she was cooking with the other two. Since most of my family doesn't care for oysters, Mama usually winds up making two batches: one with and one without the oysters.

Anyway, I didn't get Mama's oyster dressing for Thanksgiving this year, our first in Australia. So yesterday I e-mailed her asking for the recipe, so I won't have to do without again. She's not much of a typist, so I don't know if the recipe makes sense or works, yet. I just got it and haven't really looked closely or tried to make it yet. But it's a recipe that's been handed down for generations now in our family, and all other dressings or stuffings pale into tasteless insignificance by comparison. So I thought I should share it with all my NazNet buddies, whom I love.

Here is her e-mail, in its entirety. (My kids call her Granny.)

HERE GOES,
ONE HEN
ONE LARGE PAN CORNBREAD
FOUR TO SIX SLICE OF WHITE BREAD
ONE LARGE ONION
SIX RIBS OF CELERY
THREE GARLIC BUDS
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
SAGE TO TASTE
FOUR TO FIVE RAW EGGS
TWO CANS OF OYSTERS
CRUMBLE CORNBREAD, TOAST WHITE BREAD AND CRUMBLE, CHOP ONION, CELERY AND GARLIC. COOK HEN AND DEBONE HAVE PLENTY OF BROTH SALT AND PEPPER , SAGE ADD EGGS, OYSTERS. MIX ALL TOGETHER COOK@ 350 FOR 35 TO 45 MIN
LOVE YOU ALL GRANNY
ENJOY!