Baked Oysters With Spinach And Champagne Beurre Blanc Food

THE DARBY'S OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Place a strainer over a medium bowl; gently shuck the oysters over the strainer, using the strainer to catch the meat and strain the liquor into the bowl. Reserve the deeper halves of each oyster shell (discarding remaining shells) and scrub clean under cold running water; dry shells and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet; set aside.
• In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots; season with salt and cool until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour. Add Herbsaint and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add garlic and anchovies and their oil; stir to combine. Season with salt. Add heavy cream and reserved oyster juices; let cook 1 minute. Stir in spinach, watercress, basil, and tarragon. Cook until mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. If mixture seems too thick, add a little water or heavy cream to thin.
• Place reserved oyster shells in oven and bake until warm, about 2 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix together cheese, panko, and breadcrumbs until well combined; set aside.
• Spoon scant tablespoon spinach mixture into each of the shells and top each with a whole oyster. Top with a little more of the spinach mixture and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to oven and bake until oysters are warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Preheat broiler. Place oysters under broiler to brown. Garnish with scallions and season with lemon juice; serve immediately.

BAKED OYSTERS WITH SPINACH AND CHAMPAGNE BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Pour salt into a rimmed baking sheet. Nestle oyster shells in the salt; set aside.
• Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce to simmer; cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Meanwhile, place champagne, shallots, and vinegar in another small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the reduced cream, and cook for 1 minute.
• Remove pan from heat, and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, adding each new piece before the previous one has melted completely. (The sauce should not get hot enough to liquefy. It should be the consistency of thin hollandaise.) Add 1/2 cup oyster liquor to the sauce, and season with salt and white pepper. Keep warm.
• If using fresh spinach, rinse it thoroughly several times, and place in a saucepan with just the water that clings to the leaves. Cover the pan, and cook spinach until bright green and just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain well, and roughly chop. (Squeeze excess moisture from thawed frozen spinach).
• Preheat broiler with rack 5 inches from the heat source. Divide spinach equally among the shells. Top with a shucked oyster. Spoon on enough sauce to cover the oyster, about 1 tablespoon per shell. Place under the broiler until sauce bubbles and edges of oysters start to curl, about 1 minute. Garnish with chives, and serve.

BAKED PARMESAN OYSTERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven 375°F Oil a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil and garlic.
• In another bowl, combine crackers and Parmesan cheese.
• Dip oysters into oil mixture then coat with crumb mixture until evenly coated.
• Arrange in baking dish. Sprinkle with sherry and any remaining cracker mixture.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes to brown.

POACHED OYSTERS IN PERNOD CREAM

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together creme fraiche, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Refrigerate, and let drain for 2 hours. Transfer solids to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups reserved oyster liquor, and the Pernod; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and remaining teaspoon pepper; reduce heat to medium. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes; remove from heat. Add half of the spinach to saucepan and puree mixture using an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large skillet; keep warm.
• Heat oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, fry remaining spinach until crispy, about 45 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked spinach and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate; season with salt.
• Add oysters to cream sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the edges start to curl, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• To serve, arrange six oysters in each of six shallow bowls. Spoon 1/2 cup cream sauce into each bowl; spoon a dollop of creme fraiche in the center, top with caviar, and garnish with fried spinach. Serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Place wine, lemon juice, cream, shallots, and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer until liquid is reduced by about 75%, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and whisk in about 2 cubes of butter. Keep butter moving until it melts. When melted, add a few more cubes, whisking continuously so butter emulsifies into the wine/lemon juice mixture.
• Continue to add butter, a few cubes at a time until all of it has been incorporated and the sauce has a thick, luxurious texture, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste for seasonings and add a pinch of salt and cayenne, if desired. Serve immediately.

BAKED OYSTERS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Place the spinach in a large saucepan, cover, and steam over moderate heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.
• Drain the spinach, refresh under cold water, squeeze dry, and chop finely.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, heat half the butter, add the onion, and sauté over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the spinach, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cream.
• Stir well and cook over moderate heat for about 2 minutes, stirring in a few bread crumbs if necessary to thicken the mixture.
• Add the oysters and dill and stir well.
• Spoon the mixture into a well-buttered baking dish, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, dot with the remaining butter, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.