For An Authentic Thanksgiving Feast, Add Oysters
Pictured Above: Oysters, depicted at the bottom of this painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, were probably a big part of the original Thanksgiving feast.
A Thanksgiving Treat: Oyster Stuffing
Thanksgiving is my favorite of all the holidays. There is no gift-giving, no silly traditions, no church involved, and no need to wear fancy clothes. It is a celebration of gluttony, complete with beer, football, meats, and sweets. And, thankfully, Thanksgiving has come a long way from where it all began.
The menu of the very first feast was drastically different than the one we know of today. Aside from the possibility of turkey, pretty much all the modern-day Thanksgiving dishes would not have been available in 1621.
There was no bread stuffing because the pilgrims had no flour. White potatoes, which came from South America, and sweet potatoes, which came from the Caribbean, had yet to arrive in North America. While cranberries may have been available, there is no mention of them being used as food in literature until 1661. And as for pumpkin pie, well, that didn’t happen either, no flour, no butter, no baking oven.
I hope they at least had some gravy.
Surprisingly, there is very little written history on the first three-day feast.
Some historians even doubt that the almighty bird, turkey, was even on the menu. While turkeys certainly were available, written records indicate the early Pilgrims were much more fond of eating fattier birds like geese, ducks, and passenger pigeons, which were so thick at the time that it was said, “A man could shoot at the birds in flight and bring down 200.” And, “You could hear them a quarter-hour before you saw them.”
Most historians agree that seafood was a staple of the Pilgrims’ diet as well as the Wampanoag Indians’, and it surely played a role in the event. The abundance and variety of seafood was a big reason why the Pilgrims settled where they did.
While I’m a big fan of turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy, I still like to incorporate some seafood into the feast. Perhaps my favorite addition is oysters, which we do know the Pilgrims were fond of.
If you want to step up your game this year for the Big Feast, consider adding this traditional oyster stuffing to the menu.
Recipe: English Oyster Stuffing
- 1 pint shucked oysters, with liquid
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 8 cups English muffins, chopped into small cubes
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Black pepper
Coarsely chop the oysters, saving the liquid. Melt the butter in a large pot, reserving 1/2 cup. Sauté the onion and celery until soft, then add oyster liquid and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Mix in the English muffin cubes, mix, and let cool for about 10 minutes, covered. Stir in the eggs, oysters and herbs, then gradually stir in the remaining butter.
Place mixture in a ceramic dish and bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees, until the top just begins to crisp and it is heated through, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Chances are good that there will be squeamish diners at the table who will be afraid to try this amazing dish. This is a blessing, as it means there will more for you! A good oyster stuffing is out of this world. Salty, earthy, buttery goodness. Go ahead, add some gravy. To die for!
Source: https://onthewater.com/oyster-stuffing
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