Recipe: Oysters Rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller

40 minutes, plus cooling time. 24 oysters

About 5 tablespoons (2½ ounces) butter, divided, plus melted butter for drizzling over the oysters before baking

Generous ¾ cup (3½ ounces) finely diced fennel

3/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/3 cup Pernod

About 12 loosely packed cups (11 1/3 ounces) cleaned spinach

1/2 teaspoon (2/3 ounce) sea salt

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (scant 1½ ounces) heavy cream

24 medium oysters, preferably East Coast oysters with a deep cup, such as Naked Cowboys, Malpeque, Beau Soliel or Wellfleet

About ½ cup fresh white bread crumbs

1. In a straight-sided sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the fennel and garlic, and sweat, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat and add the Pernod. Continue cooking until the Pernod has evaporated, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in the spinach and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts and any liquid from the spinach has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the cream thickens and coats the spinach, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stirring until the butter emulsifies with the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then remove to another dish to cool. The Rockefeller topping can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated.

3. Before finishing the dish, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Shuck the oysters and lay them on a bed of rock salt on a gratin dish. Cover each oyster with approximately one-half tablespoon of the spinach mixture. Sprinkle fresh bread crumbs over each oyster, then top with a light drizzle of melted butter. For a better crust, top with a second layer of bread crumbs, gently pressing them into the butter to moisten. Bake the oysters for 3 minutes if using room-temperature Rockefeller mixture, 4 minutes if the mixture was refrigerated. Remove and finish the oysters under the broiler until the crust is nicely browned, 1 to 3 minutes.

EACH OYSTER

Calories 53

Protein 1 gram

Carbohydrates 3 grams

Fiber 0

Fat 3 grams

Saturated fat 2 grams

Cholesterol 12 mg

Sugar 1 gram

Sodium 83 mg