Aphrodisiacs For Valentines Day

Aphrodisiacs For Valentines Day




Oysters Rockefeller


Ingredients


3/4 cup firmly packed watercress sprigs
(2 oz before discarding coarse stems)
finely chopped.

1 1/3 cups firmly packed baby spinach(1 1/3oz)
finely chopped.

3 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 teaspoons minced celery

3 tablespoons coarse fresh bread crumbs

3 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pernod or other anise-flavored
liquor
pinch of cayenne

3 bacon slices

10 cups kosher salt for baking & serving (3lbs)

20 small oysters on the half shell,pick over
for shell fragments and shells scrubbed well.


Preparation


Toss together watercress,spinach,scallion greens,parsely,
celery and 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon breadcrumbs
in a bowl.Melt butter in a 10 inch skillet over
moderate heat,then add watercress mixture and cook,
stirring, until spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 mins.
Stir in pernod,cayenne and salt & pepper to taste,
then transfer mixture to a bowl and chill, covered
until cold about 1 hour.


Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450F



While watercress mixture chills,cook bacon in skillet over
moderate heat, turning until crisp, then drain on paper
towels and finely crumble.


Spread 5 cups Kosher salt in a shallow pan (1 inch deep)
and nestle oysters (in shells) in it. Spoon watercress
mixture evenly over oysters, then top with bacon then
sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs + 2 more teaspoons
of bread crumbs.
Bake oysters until edges of oysters begin to curl and
bread crumbs or golden about 10 mins.

SERVE

warm oysters in shells,nestled in kosher salt approx 5 cups
on a platter