On a recent trip to Ireland, we had to try the local oysters and opted for a mixed platter. A trio of raw oysters from all over Ireland and a trio of oysters cooked in different ways. The oyster rockefeller was hands down the most delicious of them all and the one we ordered more of! It's not something that you think of to make at home, but you should, you really should!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 12 rock oysters
- 150g spinach
- 100g watercress (or 100g more spinach)
- 75g butter, at room temperature
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp pastis
- Leaves from 4 sprigs of tarragon
- 10g parsley
- Tabasco
- Rock salt, to serve
- 5 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
Carefully shuck the oysters and pour the liquor into a jug.
Blanch the spinach and watercress in boiling water for 1 minute then rinse under cold water and squeeze out well.
Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a small pan and soften the shallots until golden. Add the pastis and half the oyster liquor (passed through a sieve) and bubble until reduced by half. Allow to cool a little.
Puree the squeezed-out greens, shallot mixture and herbs with a food processor or a hand blender, then add the remaining butter and a good shake of Tabasco and pulse to combine. Taste and add more hot sauce if necessary.
Heat the grill and arrange the oysters on a heatproof platter covered in rock salt (this will keep them steady). Top each with a spoonful of the butter and flatten down to coat. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and then grill for about 3-4 minutes, watching all the time, until the breadcrumbs are golden and the butter is bubbling.
Serve with good bread for mopping up all the delicious juices.