Poached Oysters In Champagne With A Julienne Of Vegetables Leaf Spinach And Prosciutto Ham Food

HAM AND VEGETABLES OVER MEDIUM SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add sliced onion and saute for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and zucchini and saute a minute. Add white wine, cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Remove lid, add tomatoes, pimentos, ham and simmer a couples of minutes just to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and spoon over pasta. Garnish with sliced olives and parsley.

OYSTERS IN CHAMPAGNE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, reduce 1 cup of champagne to approximately 1/4 cup of liquid. Add the cream and reduce mixture to 1 cup of liquid. Add butter and stir until butter melts and thickens the mixture. Toss in shucked oysters and remove from heat. Place one oyster and some sauce in each saved shell. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

POACHED OYSTERS AND ARTICHOKES WITH CHAMPAGNE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare artichoke bottoms:
• Fill a 3-quart saucepan halfway with water and add vinegar, oil, and salt, then whisk in flour. (Do not heat.)
• Cut off top inch of leaves of 1 artichoke with a serrated knife, then cut stem flush with base and discard stem. Bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base, then discard several more layers of leaves in same manner until exposed leaves are pale green at top and pale yellow at base. Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and side of artichoke with a sharp paring knife, then cut remaining leaves flush with top of artichoke bottom. Drop artichoke bottom into water in pot, putting a sieve or small lid directly on top of artichoke to keep submerged, and prepare remaining artichokes in same manner. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, keeping artichokes submerged with sieve or lid, until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer artichokes with tongs (reserving water in saucepan) to a work surface, and, when cool enough to handle, remove pointed inner leaves and fuzzy chokes with a melon-ball cutter or a small spoon. Return artichokes to cooking water to keep warm, covered.
• Cook spinach while artichokes simmer:
• Put 1 inch of water in a 3- to 4-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add spinach, 1 handful at a time, stirring with tongs, and cooking until all spinach is wilted. Drain spinach in a colander and press firmly with back of a large spoon to remove excess liquid.
• Cook shallot in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Keep warm, covered.
• Prepare oysters and sauce:
• Pour oyster liquor into a nonreactive 8-inch heavy skillet and add Champagne, shallot, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and boil, skimming foam, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes. (Reduce heat if necessary to keep from boiling over.) Pour liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing on and then discarding shallot. Return liquid to skillet, then add cream and oysters and cook over moderate heat, turning oysters over if not completely covered, until edges curl, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Assemble dish and finish sauce:
• Transfer artichoke bottoms with tongs to paper towels to drain, arranging them upside down. Transfer to plates, turning them right side up, then top with spinach. Arrange oysters on top of spinach, lifting them out of sauce with a slotted spoon.
• Boil sauce until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, then chives, and swirl skillet until butter is incorporated. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over oysters.

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.