Appetizers · By James
Oysters Rockefeller/Rempelfeller
For Sharon's 60th birthday we went to Paris, then Normandy and Brittany. There was so much amazing food that trip, from the glorious Camembert in Camembert, Normandy (unlike any we can find here), to the fresh seafood of every description in this coastal area. The most singular seafood experience were the oysters of Cancale, just to the northeast of Saint Malo in Brittany. We had no idea that this little town of Cancale we were staying in farmed some of the most prized oysters in the world (prized most notably by Louis XIV in the 18th century), and that our beautiful AirB&B looked directly onto the huge oyster beds in the ocean that were farmed every day when the dramatic tides of this area were out. We walked in the oyster beds on the ocean floor when the tide was out, marveling at this amazing farming practice! Needless to say, together with Ken and Diana Rose, our travelling companions, we ate our fill. I was on my own when eating them raw (with a squeeze of lemon), so we had to come up with a good baked version, and this was the genesis of Oysters Rempelfeller (Sharon's name for them). They follow the classic Rockefeller version with a few twists (credits to Brian Rose, who as a chef quickly texted us in Brittany his take on Oysters Rockefeller).
Ingredients
- 12 very large oysters — shucked and on the half shell
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ medium red onion, very finely diced
- ½ package of frozen spinach (150 g — half of a 300 g frozen package), thawed and with moisture squeezed out (use paper towels); chop the thawed spinach finely
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 4 green onions — finely sliced
- 3 tbsp Pernod (or equivalent anise liqueur — like Ouzo or Sambuca)
- 1 tsp anise seeds — crushed in a mortar
- 1 tsp red pepper sauce (less if a very hot sauce)
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ cup softened butter (½ of a stick)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- Additional Panko crumbs for sprinkling on top of each oyster (a few tablespoons)
- Lemon wedges (1 lemon)
Method
- 1
Shuck oysters, being careful to gently remove any shell fragments from around the shucked oyster (using your finger to do this works well). Cut the oyster muscle that attaches to the bottom shell so that the oyster will slide out easily for eating. Try to retain the juices in the shell.
- 2
You want the oysters to be quite level to keep the oyster juices intact, and for heaping on the topping. One way is to use a bed of rock salt (food-grade, or not, since it's just a base) or kosher salt, but another is to use tinfoil sheets that have been crumpled to create a bed for the oysters to sit in.
- 3
Sauté the garlic and minced red onion in 2 tbsp butter for just a minute, then add the defrosted spinach and mix together. Turn off heat and let the mixture cool while you prepare the bread crumb mixture (if in a hurry scoop it into a bowl and put in the refrigerator for a bit).
- 4
Mix the ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs, green onions, Pernod, pepper sauce, crushed anise seeds, and salt into ½ stick of softened butter (¼ cup). Mix well.
- 5
Add this breadcrumb mixture back into the cooled spinach mixture and combine thoroughly.
- 6
Spoon this combined mixture onto the top of each oyster and gently spread around to completely cover the oyster (a fork works well).
- 7
Spread the grated parmesan onto each oyster.
- 8
Finish by using fingers to sprinkle additional Panko crumbs on top of the parmesan.
- 9
Bake for about 10–12 minutes in a 450°F oven (425°F if you have convection) — you want the top mixture to be golden (note: if the oysters are really large you will need about 12 minutes).
- 10
Serve immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
A note from James
Drink/wine pairing: a Sauvignon Blanc, an unoaked Chardonnay (like a Chablis), or of course a good bubbly!
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