Oysters Rockefeller

Ingredients:

• 1 ea Boston lettuce, washed, drie
• 1 c Scallion, minced
• 1/2 c Fresh parsley, minced
• 3 ea Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T Pernod
• 1/8 t Cayenne pepper
• 36 ea Lg Oysters in shells
• 1 x Lemon wedges
• 1/2 lb Fresh spinach, washed, dried
• 2 3/4 c Dry bread crumbs, fine
• 1/4 c Celery, minced
• 1 c Unsalted butter
• 1 T Anchovy paste
• 12 ea Sl Bacon, lean
• 1 x Coarse salt for platters

Preparation:

• Shuck oysters, reserving liquor and bottom shells.
• Scrub and dry shells.
• In a bowl, combine lettuce, spinach, scallion, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, parsley, celery, and garlic.
• In a skillet, met butter over moderate heat and cook the spinach mixture, stirring for 1-2 minutes, or until greens are wilted.
• Stir in the Pernod, anchovy paste, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Chill the mixture, covered, for 1 hour.
• In another skillet, cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp.
• Transfer to paper towels to drain, and then crumble it.
• Arrange one oyster in each of the reserved shells and moisten each with some of the reserved liquor.
• Spread half the spinach mixture by heaping tablespoons onto the oysters.
• Sprinkle bacon over each oyster.
• Top the bacon with remaining spinach mixture and sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp of remaining bread crumbs.
• Arrange oysters on an oven proof platters filled with coarse salt. Bake in the middle of a preheated 450f oven for 18 minutes or until bread crumbs are well browned. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedg