OYSTER-AND-BACON
DRESSINGActive Time: 50 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Serves: 124 tablespoons unsalted butter,
melted, plus more, room
temperature, for baking dish
3 slices bacon, coarsely
chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
(1 cup)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
(½ cup)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon packed finely
chopped fresh sage leaves
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½cup dry white wine, such as
Sauvignon Blanc
⅔cup heavy cream
16 ounces shucked oysters
in liquor, ½ cup liquor
reserved, then oysters
drained and halved
75 butter crackers, such as
Ritz, broken into bite-size
pieces (4 cups)
2 tablespoons packed
coarsely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley1.Preheat oven to 375° with
a rack in upper third. Brush
a shallow 2-quart baking dish
with butter.2.Cook bacon in a large skillet
over medium until crisp and
fat is rendered, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer to paper towels to drain,
leaving fat in skillet. Add onion
and celery to skillet; season with
salt. Cook, stirring occasionally,
until vegetables are soft and
golden in places, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in sage and cayenne; cook
30 seconds. Add wine and boil
until mostly evaporated, 2 to
3 minutes. Stir in cream and
reserved oyster liquor; simmer
until reduced and thickened
slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove
from heat and stir in oysters;
season with salt.3.In a large bowl, toss crackers
with melted butter to evenlycoat. Sprinkle one-third of
cracker mixture evenly in bottom
of prepared baking dish. Spoon
half of oyster mixture evenly
over crackers. Repeat layering
with another one-third of
cracker mixture and remaining
half of oyster mixture. Toss
remaining one-third of cracker
mixture with parsley; sprinkle
evenly over top.4.Bake until golden brown
on top and heated through,
20 to 25 minutes (if top is
browning too quickly, tent with
foil). Sprinkle with bacon and
serve immediately.PECAN DRESSINGActive Time: 40 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 55 min.
Serves: 12The bread cubes can be toasted
up to three days ahead, then
stored in an airtight container at
room temperature. The dressing
itself can be prepared a day
ahead and stored in the baking dish,
covered, in the refrigerator.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter,
plus more, room temperature,
for baking dish
1 large loaf crusty white bread,
such as pane Pugliese,
cut into scant 1-inch cubes
(12 cups)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
(3 cups)
3 celery stalks, cut crosswise
into ¼-inch pieces (1½ cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
(2 tablespoons)
Kosher salt and freshly
ground pepper
½ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
chopped fresh rosemary
⅔cup dry white wine, such as
Sauvignon Blanc
1 ½cups pecans, toasted and
coarsely chopped
½cup packed coarsely chopped
fresh flat-leaf parsley2 cups low-sodium chicken broth,
plus more if needed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten1.Preheat oven to 375° with racks
in upper and lower thirds. Brush
a 3-quart baking dish with butter.2.Spread bread cubes onto two
rimmed baking sheets. Toast
in oven until dry and golden in
places, 12 to 15 minutes. Let
cool completely, then transfer
to a large bowl.3.Melt butter in a large skillet
over medium. Add onion, celery,
and garlic; season with salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until
soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in
cranberries and rosemary; cook
30 seconds. Add wine and
boil until almost evaporated,
3 to 4 minutes.4.Transfer onion mixture to bowl
with bread. Toss with pecans,
parsley, and broth, adding more
broth as needed until bread is
evenly moistened but not soggy.
Fold in eggs; season with salt
and pepper. Transfer to prepared
baking dish and cover with
parchment-lined foil.5.Bake in upper third of oven
20 minutes. Uncover and con-
tinue baking until crisp on top
and browned in places, 20 to 25
minutes more.CHESAPEAKE CRAB CAKESActive Time: 40 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 40 min.
Makes: 12The crab cakes can be formed
and chilled a day ahead, and can
be fried up to an hour ahead;
reheat them in a 250° oven on a
baking sheet lined with a wire
rack just until warmed through,
8 to 10 minutes.
1 large egg
¼cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Kosher salt
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat,
picked over
Coarse cornmeal, preferably
stone-ground, for dusting1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
crosswise
1 mini cucumber, cut into
thin rounds
1 lime, halved
¼cup safflower oil1.In a large bowl, whisk together
egg, mayonnaise, Old Bay, and
½ teaspoon salt. Fold in crab-
meat to evenly coat (do not over-
mix). Generously dust a parch-
ment-lined rimmed baking sheet
with cornmeal. Divide crab
mixture evenly into 12 portions,
forming each into a 2-inch-
diameter, 1-inch-thick patty.
Transfer to prepared baking
sheet. Dust tops of crab cakes
generously with cornmeal and
chill in refrigerator until set,
at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.2.Stir together celery, cucum-
ber, juice of one lime half, and
a pinch of salt; set aside.3.Heat 2 tablespoons oil in
a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high. When oil shimmers,
add half of crab cakes and re-
duce heat to medium. Cook, un-
disturbed, until a golden-brown
crust forms on bottoms of
cakes, 4 to 5 minutes. Gently flip
and cook until golden brown
on other sides, 4 to 5 minutes
more. Transfer to a platter and
loosely cover with foil to keep
warm. Wipe skillet clean and
fry remaining cakes in remain-
ing 2 tablespoons oil.4.Squeeze remaining lime
half over crab cakes. Serve warm,
topped with celery mixture.BUTTERED GREEN
BEANS WITH SHALLOTS
AND LEMONActive/Total Time: 40 min.
Serves: 12The crunchy, downright addictive
topping in this recipe adds big flavor
to all manner of side dishes, in-
cluding mashed potatoes, brussels
sprouts, and dressings, or even
as a garnish for turkey and gravy.128
THE HANDBOOK Recipes