1. Regulate oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Preheat oven to 275°F (135ºC). Unfold bread evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Stagger sheets on oven racks and bake till bread is totally dried, about 45 minutes whole, rotating sheets and stirring bread cubes a number of instances throughout baking. Take away from oven and permit to chill, about quarter-hour. Regulate rack to center place and improve oven temperature to 350°F (175ºC).

2. Whereas bread cools, soften butter in a big Dutch oven over medium-high warmth till foaming subsides, with out permitting butter to brown, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and, utilizing a stiff whisk or potato masher, break sausage up into superb items (largest items must be no larger than 1/4 inch). Prepare dinner, stirring continuously, till only some bits of pink stay, about 5 minutes. Add onion, celery, fennel, garlic, and thyme and cook dinner, stirring continuously, till greens are softened, about 10 minutes. Take away from warmth and add 2 cups rooster inventory.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup rooster inventory, eggs, tarragon, and three tablespoons parsley in a medium bowl till homogeneous. Stirring continuously with a picket spoon, slowly pour egg combination into sausage combination. Add bread cubes, oysters, and oyster liquor and fold gently till evenly combined. Season calmly with salt and pepper.

4. Let stand, stirring sometimes, till bread has absorbed liquid, 5 to 10 minutes. Switch stuffing to a buttered 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking dish (or 10- by 14-inch oval dish) Bake till browned on prime and an prompt read-thermometer reads 150°F (65ºC) when inserted into middle of dish, about 45 to 50 minutes. Take away from oven, let cool for five minutes, sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve.

Particular Tools

Two rimmed baking sheets, stiff wire whisk or potato masher, 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking dish (or 10- by 14-inch oval dish), instant-read thermometer

Notes

You may shuck your individual recent oysters (see the video above for directions), ask your fishmonger to do it, or purchase containers of uncooked shucked oysters. Our checks confirmed that the stuffing tastes simply pretty much as good with pre-shucked oysters as with freshly shucked. The best method to chop the oysters is to snip them in a container utilizing kitchen shears; that method you do not lose their juices to the chopping board.

Make-Forward and Storage

The bread may be dried and, as soon as cooled, saved in an hermetic container or zip-top bag at room temperature. 

The onion, celery, fennel, and garlic may be chopped as much as 2 days prematurely and refrigerated in an hermetic container. 

The stuffing may be ready by way of step 3 and refrigerated as much as 1 day prematurely. Switch combination to buttered dish, cowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Take away stuffing from fridge half-hour earlier than baking.

The stuffing may be baked, and, as soon as cooled, lined with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerated for as much as 3 days. Reheat in a 350ºF (175ºC) oven, lined with foil, till warmed by way of. Uncover throughout the previous couple of minutes of cooking to re-crisp the highest.