Ace’s Oyster Dressing
- 3 cups cornbread
- l loaf French bread, cubed and dried in over, crumble
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- l large onion, chopped
- l lb. English walnuts, chopped
- l lb. fresh chestnuts (if available) water chestnuts may be substituted, chopped
- l lb. mushrooms
- 2 cans cream chicken soup
- 2 pints fresh oysters
- l fresh bunch parsley, chopped
- l Tbsp. sage
- salt and pepper as desired
- red pepper, as desired
Mix all above ingredients. This makes a loose dressing. Stuff turkey lightly and squirt some broth in cavity on dressing. Dressing needs to be moist if baking. If not stuffing turkey the dressing may be baked in a well greased 9×13 pan at 425 degrees for about 25 to 35 minutes, do not over bake. This dressing freezes well.
Ace’s Giblet Gravy
- Wings, neck, giblets (except liver) from turkey
- l onion, quartered
- l clove garlic
- 4 thyme branches
- 8 parsley stems
- salt and pepper
- hot pepper
- 1 and 1/2 quarts homemade chicken or turkey stock, in a pinch canned may be used, plus 2 cups water
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1/3 cup plain flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 or 3 hard-cooked peeled eggs
Cook above ingredients (except butter, milk, flour and eggs) in a large soup kettle until meat is tender. Drain off stock and reserve. Remove meat from bones, cut in small pieces. Remove gristle from gizzard, then dice gizzard and heart. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium low heat. Vigorously whisk in flour. (The roux will froth and then thin out again. Cook slowly until slightly browned. Return turkey broth (2 cups) to sauce pan, stirring constantly. Add milk and bring to a boil. If gravy is not thick as desired mix l/3 to l/2 cup flour with some cooled broth and add slowly to sauce pan until desired thickened is obtained. More broth may be used if more gravy is desired, and more flour-mix to thicken it. Add all giblets and heat thoroughly. Hard cooked chopped eggs may be added to the gravy. Adjust seasoning as desired.