Oyster Stuffing For Thanksgiving From Grand Central Oyster Bar Executive Chef Sandy Ingber

Nov. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- For oyster lovers wanting to add a culinary flair to turn that often-bland turkey stuffing into a delight on Thanksgiving Day, the Grand Central Oyster Bar’s executive chef Sandy Ingber offers his own recipe for Oyster Stuffing for "Turkey-Day."  Chef Ingber also recommends Bay Scallops Scampi as an appetizer for the Thanksgiving Day feast, and both recipes follow.

Oyster zealots can get a pre-Thanksgiving taste of the classic oyster stuffing on Tuesday, November 22, when a lunch and dinner entrée of Scallopini of Pacific Sturgeon over the Oyster stuffing served with blackberry chipotle beurre blanc and maple roasted butternut squash is on the menu.

The Grand Central Oyster Bar is located “below sea level” at Grand Central Terminal. For reservations call 212-490-6650.

Oyster Stuffing for Turkey
Yield: enough stuffing for 1 Turkey
Ingredients:
   1# loaf of white bread, cut into ½" cubes
   2 cups medium diced Spanish onions
   1 cup med diced celery
   1 tbsp chopped garlic
   1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
   1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
   ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
   ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
   ¾ cup chicken stock
   ¼ cup milk
   2 eggs, beaten
   24 pieces of shucked Bluepoint oysters


Directions:

1) Dry cut bread cubes overnight or toast in a low temp oven until crisp. Melt ½ the butter in a medium skillet. Add onions and celery, cooking until onions are translucent about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme and nutmeg; cook for 30 seconds more.
2) Combine cooked vegetables with bread cubes, parsley, stock, milk and eggs, mixing gently. Fold in Oysters. Season with salt and pepper. This stuffing can be made up to 2 days in advance. If not stuffing into poultry for roasting, transfer mixture to a large oiled baking dish, dot surface with pats of remaining butter. Take a piece of wax paper and lightly oil both sides and place of top of stuffing.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until crisp on top and stuffing temperature reaches 160 degrees.

NOTE:
This stuffing can keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. First remove oysters then transfer stuffing to a microwaveable dish and reheat in microwave to 140 degrees. Add oysters back in to dish a microwave for 1 more minute. Serve immediately.

Pan Fried Nantucket Bay Scallops Scampi

Ingredients

   2# unwashed fresh Nantucket Bay Scallops
   1 tablespoon white wine
   4 ounces Feta cheese, cut into small chunks 1 avocado, large diced

   Spaghetti Squash, recipe follows

   Fresh arugula, for garnish

Preparation

-Place 2/3 of the scampi butter in a large saute pan over high heat and melt.
-Add in bay scallops and cook for about 1 minute, moving them around in the pan.
-Sizzle with the white wine and cook for just another minute more.
-Remove from heat and stir in the remaining scampi butter, Feta cheese, and avocado chunks.
-Serve over hot spaghetti squash and garnish with fresh arugula.

Scampi Butter Ingredients :

   1/4 # unsalted butter, softened
   1 tablespoon minced garlic
   2 tablespoons minced red onion
   1 tablespoon fresh chopped  parsley
   1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
   1 tablespoon kosher salt
   1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
   Dash ground  white pepper
   Dash Worcestershire sauce
   1 lemon, juiced

Preparation
      -In a bowl with a wire whisk, mix together all ingredients until well blended.

Spaghetti Squash directions

     -Cut 1 large Spaghetti Squash in half the long ways.
     -Remove seeds with a spoon.
     -Place the 2 halves of squash, cut side down, on a sheet pan and add enough warm water to fill up about ½ inch on sides.
    -Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until skin feels soft.
     -Immediately remove from oven and flip the squash over, being careful because they will be hot, but you don’t want the squash to absorb the water on pan.
     -Gently use a fork to separate the strands of spaghetti squash.

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The Grand Central Oyster Bar first opened its doors in 1913, in what was then a brand new, state-of-the-art, Grand Central Station. With its cavernous architecture and sweeping white tiled ceilings, it evokes this old N.Y. in all its grandness.