Oysters Rockefeller

Named after John D. Rockefeller by Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans, this 1899 recipe features oysters with elegance.

18 Hillman Half Shell Oysters
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions and tops
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 package (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
2 teaspoons anisette (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
rock salt
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted margarine or butter

In a small saucepan, sauté celery, onions and parsley in margarine until tender. In blender, combine sautéed vegetables, spinach, anisette and salt. Blend until almost pureed. When necessary, stop blender and push vegetables into blades. Place 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rock salt in a shallow, oven-proof serving dish. Nestle half shell oysters in salt bed. (This rock salt holds the shells in place and keeps oysters hot.) Top each oyster with spinach mixture. Combine bread crumbs and melted margarine, then sprinkle crumb mixture over oysters. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes six appetizer servings of three oysters each.

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