New England Oyster And Corn Chowder Dressing

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 lb medium red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1/2 lb sliced bacon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, with leaves chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 cups oyster crackers, coarsely crushed
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels or 2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 (8 ounce) containers oysters, drained, juices reserved (large oysters cut into 2 or 3 pieces)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2-1 cup turkey broth or 1/2-1 cup chicken broth, as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes over med-high heat until just tender, 15-20 minutes.
• 2 drain and rinse under cold running water; peel potatoes, if you wish; cut them into 1/2-inch cubes.
• 3 meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, turning until lightly browned and crisp, 8-10 minutes.
• 4 remove with tongs and drain bacon on paper towels; crumble when cool; reserve fat in skillet.
• 5 add onion, celery, red bell pepper, and thyme to the bacon fat in the skillet; cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and beginning to color, about 8 minutes.
• 6 scrape the vegetable mixture into a large bowl; mix in the crackers, crumbled bacon, cooked potatoes, corn, and parsley.
• 7 gradually stir in the cream, reserved oyster juices, eggs, and about 1/2 cup broth, until the stuffing is evenly moistened but not soggy.
• 8 season with salt and pepper; let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the crackers to absorb the liquid.
• 9 add the oysters and mix gently; transfer to a lightly buttered casserole; drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover, and bake at 350° for 30 minutes (uncover the last 15 minutes for a crustier top).