Hot Oysters With Watercress Recipes

HOT OYSTERS WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Cut off tops of watercress. Discard stems. There should be about 3 cups of watercress leaves loosely packed. Bring large quantity of water to boil. Add tops of watercress and let cook about one minute. Drain immediately and run under cold running water. Press to extract as much liquid as possible. Place in clean towel and press further. Place watercress on flat surface and chop finely. There should be about one cup loosely packed. Watercress may be used as is or blended finely in food processor. Put watercress in small saucepan and add half of the heavy cream. Heat gently and set aside.
• In saucepan combine 2 tablespoons of butter, shallots and vinegar. Bring to boil and cook down over high heat until almost all liquid evaporates. Do not allow to evaporate totally. Add remaining cream and bring to boil over high heat. Start stirring rapidly with wire whisk.
• Immediately add remaining butter, tablespoon at a time, stirring vigorously with whisk. Add salt and pepper and remove from heat.
• Place oysters on baking dish and place in oven. Bake 5 minutes. This is done to heat them gently and allow them to be opened easily.
• Remove oysters from oven and, using small knife, preferably oyster knife, to help loosen top shells, open shells of each oyster and discard top shells. It will facilitate things if oysters are opened by 2 people. Reserve bottom shells with oysters.
• Cut away and reserve each oyster. Spoon an equal amount of the watercress mixture over each of reserved shells. Top each serving of watercress with one oyster. Arrange 3 sprigs of watercress on each of 4 dishes. Arrange 4 oysters on the half shell on each bed of watercress.
• Spoon hot butter sauce over oysters and serve immediately.

ROASTED OYSTERS WITH WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat a wood-fired or regular oven to 400 degrees F. Fill a 14-inch cast-iron pan with the rock salt.
• Shuck the oysters, keeping them in their bottom shells, then lay them on the rock salt, using care to save as much of the oyster liquor as possible. Place the entire pan in the oven and cook until the oysters are just set, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the bacon to a medium cast-iron pan, then set over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has rendered out and the bacon begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onions to the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low. Sweat the onions until they have begun to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the mustard, then slowly add the vinegar, stirring. (You will want to stir and swirl the pan as you add the liquid, to help emulsify the mustard and vinegar into the bacon fat.) Add the watercress and stir the mixture to combine and wilt the cress.
• Remove the oysters from the oven. Evenly divide and top each oyster with the bacon vinaigrette.

MELISSA CLARK'S OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs and sauté until they are just a tiny bit golden, about 1 minute or so. Stir in the watercress, parsley, celery and celery leaves, scallions, and garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the Pernod and let it cook off for another minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the capers and a pinch of salt (not too much, those oysters are salty too).
• Preheat the broiler. Fill a baking pan (or two) with a 1/2-inch layer of coarse or rock salt. Lay the oysters on top of the salt. Spoon a little of the sauce mixture on top of the oysters. Broil until just golden, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.