Oysters Rockefeller
Serves: 6
Jacklyn McClure
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
45
Spice
51
Sweetness
37
Sourness
41
mins
Prep time (avg)
4.5
Difficulty
Ingredients:
3 tsp
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil1360 g
Spinach (fresh, cleaned)1 large
Onion1 clove
Garlic (minced)1.5 tbsps
Flour1 cup
Whole Milk1 tbsp
Butter1 tsp
Nutmeg (grated)3 tbsps
Freshly Grated ParmesanDirections:
1
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F
2
Moisten the breadcrumbs with a little bit of olive oil
3
Shuck the oysters: There is a top flat "lid" and a bottom cupped shell for each oyster
4
Insert the tip of an oyster knife into the hinge where the two shells come together in a point
5
Twist until the lid pops open
6
Pull the knife out and wipe it clean so you don't get mud in the oyster
7
Insert the knife back into the oyster from the opposite side of the hinge, lightly scraping against the top shell to disconnect the muscle
8
Then go under the oyster to cut the muscle on the bottom
9
Flip the oyster over onto the prettier side
10
Top each oyster with a teaspoon of the creamed spinach, a piece of bacon and a bit of the breadcrumbs
11
On a baking sheet, create a small mound of coarse salt for each oyster to prevent them from tipping over
12
Nestle the oysters in the salt mounds, and bake until the bacon is cooked and the breadcrumbs browned
13
Transfer the baked oysters to a serving platter and garnish with a sprinkle of fennel pollen
14
If desired, garnish with grated horseradish and a drizzle of smoked olive oil
15
Serve with lemon wedges
16
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil
17
Add the spinach
18
As soon as it's wilted and tender, drain and run under cold water
19
When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out any excess water
20
If you have used whole spinach with long stems, roughly chop it; you should have 1 1/2 cups of chopped spinach
21
Finely mince the fennel and onion
22
Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and glaze it with the olive oil
23
Add the fennel, onion, garlic and a few pinches of salt, and cook until the onion is translucent; you don't want it to brown
24
Add the flour and stir
25
When the flour has gathered up all the onion mixture, add the Herbsaint and bring to a boil
26
Let it reduce by half before stirring in the milk to make a bechamel
27
Season to taste with salt and pepper
28
Cook at a low simmer until the sauce thickens to the point where it coats the back of a spoon, and where drawing your finger down the spoon leaves a clear line
29
Pour half of the bechamel into a blender along with 1/2 cup of the spinach
30
Blend until completely smooth
31
Add the remaining spinach to the pan with the remaining bechamel, then add the spinach puree
32
Heat, stirring, and season with salt and pepper
33
Finish by stirring in the butter, nutmeg and Parmesan