Oysters Rockefeller

(serves 4)

2 cups blanched spinach
16 shucked oysters
½ lb butter
12 diced shallots or green onions
3 cloves diced garlic
18% cream
cornstarch to thicken
3 oz white wine
smoked back bacon
Ahead of time, blanch spinach and shuck oysters. Remove the membrane that attaches the oyster to its shell when shucking. Keep the shells and oysters and set aside. In a pan melt ½ lb of butter. Add shallots, garlic and white wine and warm through. Add cream and cornstarch to thicken sauce. BBQ the smoked back bacon. Place each oyster back in its shell with a little spinach, sauce and back bacon sliver to garnish. Place the oysters shells directly on the BBQ and cook for 20 minutes. The sauce will bubble around the oyster and the oysters will be tender when cooked.

1 pound butter
1 rib celery, finely chopped
2 bunches scallions, finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, fine chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 to 3/4 cup Herbsaint or Pernod
1 1/4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
48 Oysters in their shells
Rock salt

Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the celery, scallions and parsley. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the Worcestershire and Tabasco. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Add the Herbsaint or Pernod and bread crumbs; cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, until cold but not firmly set. Using an oyster knife, pry open the oyster shells then remove the oysters. Discard the top shells; scrub and dry the bottom shells. Drain the oysters. Arrange 6 oyster shells on an ovenproof pan or tray lined with a layer of rock salt about an inch deep. Make 8 trays in all. Place 1 oyster in each shell. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the chilled Rockefeller topping from the refrigerator and beat it with an electric mixer to evenly distribute the butter and infuse air into the mixture; transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe a tablespoon of the mixture onto each oyster, then bake in a 375 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve each person a tray of piping hot oysters.

20 oysters, in shell
8 strips bacon
4 tbs. margarine
4 tbs. celery, chopped fine
4 tbs. onions, chopped fine
2 tbs. parsley, chopped
5 ounces spinach, chopped,
thawed and well drained
1 tbs. anisette (optional)
1 1/2 tbs.margarine
2 tbs. bread crumbs
rock salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Shuck oysters. Leave oysters in deep half of shell.
Fry bacon until slightly crisp, drain on paper towels. Chop bacon finely and set
aside. In margarine, saute celery, onion and parsley until slightly tender. Remove
sauteed vegetables from stove, add spinach and anisette. Line baking trays with
rock salt, 1/4 inch deep. Place oysters in shells in rock salt and pack down.
Sprinkle 1 tsp. spinach mixture over each oyster. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. finely chopped
bacon over each. Melt 1/2 tbs. butter and mix in bread crumbs. Sprinkle lightly
on oysters. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve.