Truffle Creamed Spinach And Fried Oysters Food

FRIED OYSTERS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, garlic powder, paprika and hot sauce in a casserole dish. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper together in a separate casserole dish.
• Add the oysters to the buttermilk and let soak. Then remove, letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the cornmeal mixture, tapping off the excess. Fry in the hot oil in batches, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot with the Remoulade Sauce.
• Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, paprika, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a small bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

CREAMED SPINACH TARTLETS

Steps:

• For the filling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl one-third full with ice. Add cold water to cover the ice. Set a colander into the bowl.
• In batches, cook the spinach in the boiling water just until bright green, about 1 minute. With tongs, immediately plunge the spinach into the colander to stop cooking and set the color. When all of the spinach is cooked and cooled, lift the colander from the water and squeeze out the excess water from the spinach. Chop the spinach and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a deep skillet or broad saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook an additional minute, until toasted and fragrant. Add the cream, the blanched spinach and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the cream has cooked down and thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, feta, white pepper, nutmeg and more salt to taste. Stir to blend, then remove from the heat.
• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Unroll the phyllo and cover it with a damp kitchen towel; keep the pastry covered while working to keep in the moisture. Cut the phyllo in half crosswise.
• Using a pastry brush, coat six 4 1/2-inch tart pans with melted butter. Gently lay a "square" of phyllo in one of the pans, letting it fall loosely into place. Brush with butter, covering the pastry sheet completely. Repeat with five additional sheets. Using kitchen shears, trim the excess dough, leaving a good 1 inch of overhang. Shape the phyllo around the perimeter of the tart pan to create an attractive, rustic edge. Repeat for the remaining five pastry tarts. Fill each tart with the creamed spinach mixture.
• Place the filled tart pans on a baking sheet. Bake on the center oven rack until the crust is golden brown, 30 minutes.

OYSTERS WITH TRUFFLE FROTH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Shuck the oysters. Discard the top shell. Strain oysters and oyster liquor (see Cook's Note*) through fine sieve into a ceramic or glass bowl. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Scrub the bottoms shells of the oysters under running water and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Turn oven to broil.
• Drain 2/3 of the liquid from the oysters for the sauce and set aside. Make a 1-inch bed of salt in a large pan. Evenly space the cleaned oyster shells on the salt bed with the outside edge of the shell facing down. Place 1 oyster on each shell. Place 1 drop of truffle oil on each oyster (truffle oil is potent so use sparingly). Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the froth over each oyster. Place the pan under the broiler until the froth turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
• In a small bowl lightly froth the egg yolks with the hand held blender.
• In a heavy bottomed saucepan bring the oyster liquor and cream just to the boil. Reduce the heat to low. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into the 2 egg yolks and froth with the hand held blender. Slowly add the frothed egg mixture to the saucepan. Immediately begin frothing the mixture in the saucepan over low heat. Pour froth over truffle laced oysters on the half shell.

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.