Name: Oysters Rockefeller
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 1/2 hr
Yield: Makes 10 hors d'oeuvre servings
Ingredients: 3/4 cup firmly packed watercress sprigs (2 oz before discarding coarse stems), finely chopped; 1 1/3 cups firmly packed baby spinach (1 1/3 oz), finely chopped; 3 tablespoons finely chopped scallion greens; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 teaspoons minced celery; 3 tablespoons coarse fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a day-old baguette); 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon Pernod or other anise-flavored liquor; Pinch of cayenne; 3 bacon slices; About 10 cups kosher salt for baking and serving (3 lb); 20 small oysters on the half shell, oysters picked over for shell fragments and shells scrubbed well

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Oysters RockefellerMikkel Vang

Oysters Rockefeller were created in 1899 by Jules Alciatore of Antoine's restaurant, in New Orleans, to make use of local shellfish and greens. Named for John D. Rockefeller, this classic first course is likewise rich.

Though Louisiana oysters tend to be quite large, it's best to use small ones, such as Kumamoto or Prince Edward Island, for this recipe. The oysters themselves (not the shells) should be no more than 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Recipe notes

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Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.