Easy Oyster Dressing Recipe: Southern Thanksgiving Side Dish (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between stuffing and dressing for Thanksgiving? ›

The primary difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is cooked inside a bird and dressing is made on the side. As with many food traditions in the U.S., regional loyalties to stuffing vs dressing abound.

In modern times, oysters have remained a classic dish in the south. However, more recently, they're beginning to appear on Thanksgiving tables more and more frequently. As you celebrate this year, treat your family to a classic Thanksgiving dish!

Some people insist that it should be called dressing when it hasn't actually been stuffed inside a bird. But many people insist on one term or the other regardless of how it's prepared or what's in it. The term dressing is most commonly used in the South, but it's popular in pockets throughout the US.

Mignonette is a classic sauce for serving with oysters. A classic, proper one is made with just red wine vinegar and eschalots (called shallots in the US). No messing around with oil, no sugar, no salt. It's meant to be clear and pink and pure, not sweet, oily and brown.

As you shuck, nestle finished oysters on top of the prepared serving bowl of crushed ice, with their hinges facing inward, leaving enough room for a ramekin of mignonette and a few lemon wedges. If you are planning on shucking a lot of oysters, serve them in rounds to keep them as fresh and cold as possible.

Honestly, there's no bad way to cook a potato. Three of the New York Times cooking section's most popular Thanksgiving recipes are potato-related: a mashed potato casserole, potato gratin and cheddar mashed potatoes.

So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish. Additionally, dressing, especially in the American South, is often made with cornbread instead of pieces of a baguette or plain ol' white bread.

Dressing Is For Midwesterners

Generally, in the Midwestern states, it's called stuffing regardless of the ingredients or whether it's cooked inside a turkey.

When are oysters in season? In the northern hemisphere, the old rule that native oysters should only be eaten when there's an 'r' in the month still holds true; so eat oysters from September to April. During the summer months they're busy spawning, and their flesh becomes unpleasantly soft and milky.

Myth #4: You Should Only Eat Oysters in Months Ending "R"

This myth likely has its roots in an old wives' tale that warned against eating shellfish during months when there was no "R" in the name (May through August).

What is the rule for eating oysters? ›

Rule of thumb is at least 4,000 years old. Foodie tradition dictates only eating wild oysters in months with the letter “r” – from September to April – to avoid watery shellfish, or worse, a nasty bout of food poisoning. Now, a new study suggests people have been following this practice for at least 4,000 years.

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

In England, a stuffing is sometimes made of minced pork shoulder seasoned with various ingredients, such as sage, onion, bread, chestnuts, dried apricots, and dried cranberries. The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish. This may still be called stuffing or it may be called dressing.

For instance, down south, "madder than a wet hen" means being angry, "over yonder" is a more poetic way of saying "over there," and "bless your heart" can be both an insult and a way to show empathy. Keep scrolling to see 25 Southern words and expressions you probably won't hear anywhere else.

Usually the mignonette sauce is served in a small bowl with a small spoon, alongside the oysters on a platter (or as the French say, "plateau de coquillages"). People can scoop a small amount of the mignonette (1/8 of a teaspoon or so) onto their oyster before eating.

Slurp, Then Chew

Slurping, not chewing is a myth too frequently attached to oyster eating. Use a tiny fork to release the oyster, then pick up the shell and slurp down the oyster, chewing once or twice before swallowing. If you don't chew it, you won't experience the full flavor.

Enjoying some seafood with co*cktail sauce is acceptable and even encouraged, but oysters have a flavor that stands on its own. Stick to just a drop of lemon juice and let the flavors of the oyster speak for themselves.