On this Thanksgiving, let the Club do (most of) the cooking, leaving time to make Chef Susan's oyster pudding

Susan Delbert, National Press Club chef

November 13, 2020

Thanksgiving this year promises to usher in some new challenges as we deal with the boundaries imposed by the ongoing pandemic. Yet somehow joining for a meal, whether via Zoom or out on the patio, on the fourth Thursday in November is etched into the American DNA.

With challenge often comes opportunity and this year, that opportunity may be to get out of the kitchen and leave the cooking to us! The National Press Club is offering a pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings.

Our food is prepared from scratch -- no short cuts here -- and we’ve put together a terrific assortment of classic foods: a roasted turkey with smooth, exquisite gravy; jazzed up almond potatoes; deliciously caramelized sweet potatoes; green beans amandine, rolls and cranberry sauce. And who can resist a delicate pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

All of this is available—precooked, ready for you to re-warm-- in the online store for $99.95. The meal serves four.

Some of you may demur that you like to cook— especially on Thanksgiving. This is the perfect opportunity to indulge in making one or two “specialty” side dishes, whether an old family tradition or new take on an old classic.

Thanksgiving Oyster Pudding

My “must have” for Thanksgiving is the one dish everyone looked forward to at my grandmother’s house, Aunt Virginia’s Oyster Pudding. It may have been the simplest dish on the table, but there were never leftovers. Growing up in Ohio, oysters were not a common phenomenon and it doesn’t seem the kind of food kids would give a second glance, but we loved it.

It takes about five minutes to assemble and can be made ahead and reheated.

Thanksgiving Oyster Pudding

2 pints oysters shucked (one pint works if strapped for cash)

1 box saltine crackers

1/4-pound (1 stick) butter (increase for a more decadent result)

2 to 3 cups half and half (or milk). Maybe a bit more or less.

Cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the inside of a largish (6- to 8-cup) baking dish. A soufflé dish works well; something that transfers well from oven to table.

2. Warm the butter and half and half. Do not boil. Add about ½ teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper or a few shakes of Tabasco sauce. (Optional -- this is a twist I added much later in life).

3. With clean hands, crush 2 to 3 sleeves of saltines by hand into the baking dish. Make irregular crumbles. Think cereal size pieces, not crumbs. A rolling pin to the outside of the paper packets is oddly satisfying. The crackers should fill about just below half the dish.

4. Add the oysters and their juice mixing lightly; using your hands is ok. The whole mixture should fill about ¾ of the dish.

5. Pour the warm butter/milk mix over the crackers. They will begin to absorb the liquid. Fill to about ½ of the top. It will seem soupy, but don’t worry. If you need more liquid, add it; no need to warm it.

6. Cover with plastic and foil, place on baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake about 45 minutes. Remove the foil/plastic last 10 minutes for crunchy top.

6. This may be made the day before and reheated about 15 minutes before service. If oven real estate is dear, you can place the already baked dish at the back of the stove top and let it re-heat undisturbed gently for hour or so while guests arrive.