James Beard's New Fish Cookery - James Beard [144]
6. Any of the recipes for stuffed oysters (pages 40, 421–423) may be served with cocktails if you pass small plates and forks so your guests can manage this food easily.
HUTTRES FARCIES CASENAVE
6 shallots (or green onions), finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped chervil
3 ounces butter
12 oysters on the half shell
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Rock salt
Mix the herbs and shallots or onions with the butter, and top each oyster with a spoonful of the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and bake on a bed of rock salt in a 475° oven for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the oysters are just heated through.
These may be run under the broiler instead, but be careful not to overcook them.
OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER
There are as many recipes for this dish as there are for bread. This may not be the original recipe, but it makes a delicious treat. In the old days it was necessary to pound the ingredients for the sauce in a mortar — a very tiring job — but with today’s electric mixers or a food processor, oysters Rockefeller is a simple treat to prepare.
1/4 cup chopped shallots or green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped chervil
1/3 cup chopped fennel
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 pound butter
2 cups watercress
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup Pernod or anisette
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 dozen oysters on the half shell
Sauté the onion, celery, and herbs in 3 tablespoons of the butter for 3 minutes. Add the watercress and just let it wilt. Put this mixture with the rest of the butter, the bread crumbs, and the Pernod or anisette in the blender. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a few grains of cayenne. Blend for 1 minute. Put about 1 tablespoon of this on each oyster, place the oysters on beds of rock salt in individual containers, and dampen the salt slightly. Bake at 450° to 475° for about 4 minutes, or until the butter is melted and the oysters heated through.
NOTE: Tin pie plates are excellent for baking this dish.
OYSTERS KIRKPATRICK
There are as many versions of this as there are of the famous Rockefeller recipe. This is my choice:
24 oysters on the half shell
1/2 cup finely chopped onions or shallots
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup tomato catsup
Chopped parsley
Bacon
Arrange oysters on the half shell on beds of rock salt. Sauté the onion and green pepper in the butter. Mix this with the catsup. Put a spoonful on each oyster, sprinkle with parsley, and top with a partially cooked piece of bacon. Place in a 450° oven just long enough to brown the bacon and heat the oysters.
VARIATIONS
1. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top, dot with butter, and top with the piece of bacon.
2. Simply spoon tomato catsup or chili sauce over the oysters and top with crumbs and the piece of bacon.
3. Cover the oysters with chopped green onion, tomato catsup, and top with pieces of partially cooked bacon. Bake in a 450° oven just long enough to brown the bacon and heat the oysters.
OYSTERS REMICK
36 oysters on the half shell
2 cups mayonnaise
4 tablespoons chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Few grains cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Bacon
Place the oysters on beds of rock salt. Mix the mayonnaise and the seasonings and spoon it over the oysters. Sprinkle with buttered crumbs and top with pieces of partially cooked bacon. Bake in a 450° oven for 4 or 5 minutes, then place under the broiler for 3 minutes — just until the edges curl.
OYSTERS AU GRATIN
Arrange oysters on the half shell on beds of rock salt. Add a dash of lemon juice to each oyster, cover with fine bread crumbs, a little melted butter, and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Bake in a 450° oven for a few minutes — just until the edges