Thanksgiving Dinner Southern Style – Oyster & Andouille Dressing
I love oysters. Perhaps that is why I have always loved Oyster Dressing. Oyster Dressing is easy to make too so that helps. Take your standard cornbread dressing recipe and just stir in a dozen or so raw oysters. Or you can really up the “Wow!” factor by making this amazing Oyster & Andouille Dressing
| Oyster & Andouille Dressing |
- 1/2 pound andouille, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 5 TBL unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped yellow onions
- 2 TBL minced garlic
- 1/4 cup whole kernal corn (optional)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- Basic cornbread, dried overnight, enough to fill a 9 X 13 dish
- 3 slices stale white or whole wheat bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 to 2 dozen raw Gulf oysters
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 cups homemade chicken stock, as needed
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub 1 TBL butter in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the sausage until brown and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add remaining butter, onions, garlic, fresh thyme, fresh oregano and corn then cook for 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
- With your fingers, crumble the corn bread into the bowl, add bread, then sausage mixture, oysters and mix well with your hands. Add enough broth, 1/2 cup at a time, to moisten the dressing, being careful not to make it too mushy.
- Transfer to the buttered dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown, about 15 – 20 minutes.
If the dressing doesn’t have the right browned crust after 45 minutes place it under the broiler for a few minutes until you get the desired crunchification.
Food Network Presents ‘Thanksgiving Live!’
Food Network Helps Viewers Avert Turkey-Day Disasters First-Ever, Two Hour, Interactive ‘Thanksgiving Live!’ Special
Hosted by Alton Brown and Featuring Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray and More
‘Thanksgiving Live!’ Airs Sunday, November 20th from NOON-2pm ET
Viewers Submit Questions Live via Facebook, Twitter and Skype
NEW YORK – October 17, 2011 – Home cooks—and their Thanksgiving dinner guests—have another reason to be thankful this year! The experts at Food Network come together to answer viewers toughest questions about holiday meal-making on Thanksgiving Live!, a two-hour, interactive show hosted by famed Turkey-master Alton Brown, airing Sunday, November 20 from 12 pm to 2 pm EST/PST (west coast airing will be taped). On hand to address perennial problems from dry turkey to lumpy gravy, as well as demonstrate helpful tips and delicious recipes will be Ted Allen, Sunny Anderson, Anne Burrell, Melissa d’Arabian, Bobby Flay, Alex Guarnaschelli and Rachael Ray.
“Thanksgiving Live! is a unique opportunity for home cooks to get expert holiday meal preparation advice from the television chefs they love and trust on the Sunday before the big day,” said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Food Network. “We’re excited to offer this one-of-a-kind television experience, in addition to our other media platforms, to make Food Network the go-to resource for Thanksgiving food programming and instruction.”
In this first-ever Food Network live event, Alton will field viewers’ Thanksgiving meal preparation questions and refer them to an all-star cast of celebrity chefs. Viewers will not only have the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time via Facebook, Twitter (use #FNThanksgiving) but can also simultaneously submit questions during the broadcast. Skype submissions (Username: FoodNetworkThanksgiving) will be exclusive to the two-hour broadcast.
As a side dish to the on-air broadcast, the network’s website (www.foodnetwork.com) will serve up a three-hour Thanksgiving Live webcast. Starting a half-hour before airtime, the site will stream a preshow featuring celebrity chef interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of Alton and the cast preparing for the live television event. During the show, viewers can participate in a unique, co-viewing social experience implemented on FoodNetwork.com, Facebook.com/FoodNetwork and Livestream.com/FoodNetwork. A mix of real-time conversation including video, photos, Facebook and Twitter posts, all seamlessly integrated into the live video stream, it will allow chefs and viewers to share tips, recipes and commentary. After the on-air broadcast concludes as the cast sit down to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast they prepared during the show, the online streaming video will continue with post-show coverage. Each guest will contribute a signature dish, covering everything from starters to desserts—and Alton Brown will carve the turkey!
Fall Recipe: Sweet Potato Hash Browns
Here’s a unique recipe for fall that I used to run when I was the chef at Mars Hill Cafe. This was one of our most popular side dishes:
| Sweet Potato Hash Browns |
- 1 large or two small sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 tablespoon canola oil
- Shred the sweet potato with the shredding attachment of a food processor or use a box grater. Toss the sweet potatoes with corn starch and coat thoroughly.
- In a ramekin or small bowl combine the cinnamon and cayenne.
- In a large saute pan or griddle heated to 400 degrees add the canola oil. Place four equal sized mounds of hash browns and spread using the side of a spatula in a chopping motion.
- Cook until hash browns are golden brown then flip.
- Season the cooked side with cinnamon/cayenne mixture and cook just until second side is golden brown.
Each serving contains 108 calories, 1 gram of fat, 25 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of protein.
Easy Thanksgiving Recipe: Pumpkin Curry Soup
Here’s a unique recipe for Thanksgiving:
Pumpkin Curry Soup
- 1 15 ounce can organic pumpkin
- 1 cup organic chicken stock
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon Curry powder (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger (optional)
- two tablespoons raw local honey
- toasted pumpkin seeds
With a whisk, combine all ingredients (except pumpkin seeds) in a large stock pot and bring to a simmer (takes about 15 minutes) then serve. Taste and if the soup is still a little bitter add more honey one tablespoon at a time until it cuts the bitterness but doesn’t make the soup too sweet. Garnish with pumpkin seeds. Naan is also a nice addition.
