Baked Oysters With Bacon

Baked Oysters with Slab Bacon, Wilted Greens and Breadcrumbs

Serves: 6

Ingredients

30 oysters, freshly shucked
2 pounds fresh spinach (crinkly organic if possible)
1 small bunch chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces slab bacon, cut into small dice
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, quartered, and cut into thin slices
1 shallot, quartered and sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly chopped
2 lemons, one zested and juiced, one cut into wedges
1 day-old baguette, crust trimmed and coarsely ground in food processor
1/4 pound unsalted butter, melted
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 scrape of nutmeg
1 lemon

Method

  1. Preparation: Shuck oysters and place on a baking rack. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
  2. In a medium-large sauce pan, fill 3/4 full with water. Add a handful of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Drop greens mixture in and blanch 30 seconds. Remove and shock in a bowl of ice water.
  3. Remove when cool and squeeze dry. Finely chop and set aside.
  4. In a large saute pan, add olive oil and saute bacon until cooked only half way. Remove bacon from pan.
  5. In the same pan, add leeks, shallot and garlic and gently soften over low heat.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, add leeks, shallot, garlic, blanched spinach, reserved bacon, lemon juice and zest, breadcrumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper to taste and the nutmeg. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  7. Place the mixture on the oysters, trying not to compress, but leave loosely covering them. Place oysters on platters with rock salt and put on the top shelf of oven and bake until golden - about six minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Featured Recipes