Baked Oysters Florentine

Yield: Makes 36 oysters

Ingredients

• 1  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 1/2  cup  butter
• 1 1/2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  tablespoon  Pernod
• 1  tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce
• 1  cup  fine dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4  teaspoon  coarsely ground pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  hot sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt (optional)
• 1  cup  grated Parmesan cheese
• 36  fresh oysters (in the shell)
• Rock salt

Preparation

Cook and drain spinach. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute or until tender. Stir in spinach and parsley; gradually add Pernod, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, salt. Remove spinach mixture from heat, and add Parmesan cheese.

Scrub oyster shells, and open; discard tops. Loosen meat, but leave it in the bottom shell. Make a bed of rock salt in a 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan, and arrange oysters on the rock salt. Top oysters generously with spinach mixture. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes.

Alternate cooking method: Oysters may be cooked directly on a grill, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes.