Oysters.

Maryland watermen have been harvesting oysters from the Chesapeake Bay for over a century. Local cooks add oysters to everything from savory pies and stews to this dressing-a holiday staple around the Bay.

Ingredients

12 tbsp. butter

1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

4 stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. crumbled dried sage

1⁄2 tsp. dried tarragon

6 cups crumbled corn bread

1 cup chicken stock

2 eggs lightly beaten

Pinch cayenne

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 dozen small shucked oysters

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 6 tbsp. of the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add onions, celery, parsley, sage and tarragon. Sauté the mixture until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.

Put corn bread in a large mixing bowl. Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; add remaining butter, stirring until butter has melted, then pour over corn bread. Mix in sautéed onion-and-celery mixture, eggs, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gently mix oysters into the corn bread mixture, taking care not to break up oysters. Transfer to a buttered 8" × 8" baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve with roast turkey.

Serves 8