Oysters Rock!

This delectable bivalve mollusk is now being harvested in the NC waters.  This year harvesting was delayed a month with all of us waiting anxiously until November to get our first sample.  After our family's Thanksgiving oyster roast (oysters are actually steamed), the verdict is in...they are big, salty, and delicious!

Yesterday Wayne opened a peck and I prepared Oysters Rockefeller for dinner last night.  I've found two short cuts for preparation: (I'm sure professional chefs might look down their oyster knives at this!)

• If I'm preparing these for a large group I go to the fish market and buy oysters already shucked.  The problem with already shucked oysters is that they have been washed which removes most of the salt from the oyster.  So, I drain the oysters, put them in a bowl and add a little bit of salt. I taste a raw one to make sure I've gotten in right. (You can do this...they'll slide right down your throat!)
• At the first oyster roast I attend, I gather up about 4 dozen oyster shells, take them home and wash them well, even boiling after washing.  These become the shells I use all season (wash by hand after using).

Oyster Rockefeller

Ingredients:

4 Tbs. butter

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 shallots, minced

3 cups chopped fresh spinach

1/4 cup Ouzo (most recipes call for Pernod, I can't find it here.  I found Ouzo to be a great substitute)

A dash of salt and pepper

1 Tbs. parsley

2 dozen shucked oysters

2 dozen clean oyster shells

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese,shredded

Olive Oil

Rock Salt (sold here by Morton in a red box and called ice cream salt)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Melt butter in skillet and saute garlic for two minutes.  Put the Panko in a small bowl and add half the butter mixture, parsley, and stir until combined and set aside.  Put the pan with the remaining butter mixture back on the burner and add shallots and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Add the Ouzo and saute for another 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fill the bottom of a cookie sheet or shallow roasting pan with a layer of the rock salt.  Place oyster shells on the salt and fill each with an oyster (if the oysters are small I put 2).  Spoon a teaspoon of the spinach mixture on top of each oysters followed by a heaping teaspoon of the Panko mixture   Top each oyster with Parmesan cheese, then drizzle a little olive over each one. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until golden.