Oysters Rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller
Recipe courtesy of Brian Landry, Executive Chef Galatoire’s Restaurant,
from Galatoire’s: Biography of a Bistro, by Marda Burton and Kenneth
Holditch (Hill Street Press).

3/4 cup chopped fennel (bulb only)
1/4 cup chopped leeks (green and white parts)
1/4 cup finely chopped curly parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, green and white parts
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup ketchup
1-1/2 cups cooked and drained chopped frozen spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground anise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Herbsaint liqueur
1 cup melted butter
1/2 cup seasoned dried breadcrumbs
12 cups rock salt
6 dozen oysters on the half shell
12 lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, combine the fennel, leeks, parsley, green onions, celery,
ketchup, spinach, salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, anise,
Worcestershire, and Herbsaint. Purée the mixture thoroughly. Using a rubber
spatula, scrape the contents of the food processor into a large mixing bowl. Stir
in the butter and the breadcrumbs, making sure the mixture is well blended.
Pour enough rock salt into twelve 8-inch cake pans to cover the bottoms of
pans. Arrange 6 oysters in their half shells in each pan.
Fill a pastry bag with the purée and pipe the sauce over each oyster. Or use a
tablespoon to distribute the sauce.
Place the pans in the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until the sauce sets. Turn
the heat up to broil and broil the oysters for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tops are
bubbling. It may be necessary to bake the oysters in batches.
Line each plate with cloth napkins that have been folded into neat squares.
Nestle the pans of oysters within the folded napkins. Garnish with lemon wedges
and serve at once.