Oyster and Celery Stuffing

A family recipe contributed by Julia

4 c finely diced celery
2 c boiling water
1/2 c minced onion
1/2 c butter or oil
4 qts lightly packed day old bread cut into 1 inch cubes (20-24 slices)
5 tsp poultry seasoning
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cans oysters
1/2 lb mushrooms

Simmer celery in boiling water, covered, 20 min. Drain, reserving 1 c liquid.

Saute onions until soft, then add mushrooms and saute until brown.

Mix bread & seasonings, add celery, reserved liquid,  butter, onion+mushrooms.
add oysters (if you want to make stuffing more oyster-ish I would displace some of the celery liquid with the juice from the canned oysters. 

Mix.

Stuff in bird, or put into pan to bake. bake at 350 until warm (usually about 30 minutes).

Gram’s Gravy

“First you make a roux,” Gram’s grandmother Euziere


Turkey fat and drippings
Giblets (chopped and gently sauteed in turkey fat)
Flour
Milk
Liquid smoke
Pepper

1. Remove the turkey from the roasting pan.  The entire gravy process is done over low heat in the turkey roasting pan while stirring constantly.

2. Cook the chopped giblets in the turkey fat.

3. Slowly add flour to the hot turkey fat, giving it time to “cook.”  Stir continuously. Avoid lumps.

4. Add the milk slowly and stir.  The roux will thicken.  Add more milk and repeat this step until you get the volume of gravy you want.

5. Add liquid smoke and pepper.  Some people add salt to taste, but this can be done at the table.

Remember that the gravy also thickens as it cools.

I need to do a YouTube video of this process because I don’t use measurements.