Stitt likes to use rock salt — the kind used for old-fashioned ice cream churners — as a bed for these oysters because it keeps the shells from tipping and sliding around in the pan and on the plates. Rock salt is sold at many supermarkets, but kosher salt is a good substitute.
At the restaurant, Stitt makes this recipe with local Apalachicola oysters, though he also likes the flavor of East Coast varieties such as Blue Point, Pemaquid, and Malpeque, so feel free to use your favorite.
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr
Makes 8 first-course servings.
INGREDIENTS
- for stuffing
- 1/4cup kosher salt
- 2(10-oz) bags fresh spinach, coarse stems discarded
- 2leeks (white and pale green parts only), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 3oz slab or thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1shallot, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 1day-old baguette, crust discarded and bread coarsely ground in a food processor (2 cups)
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh chervil
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
- 3/4teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- rounded 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
- 1stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, meltedfor oysters
- about 10 cups rock or kosher salt for baking and serving (3 lb)
- 40oysters on the half shellaccompaniment:lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 500°F.
Make stuffing:
Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot three-fourths full of water to a boil with kosher salt, then stir in spinach and cook 30 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl filled with ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain spinach and squeeze dry, then finely chop.
Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté bacon, stirring, until golden and just cooked through (but not crisp), about 3 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add leeks, shallot, and garlic to fat in skillet and cook over low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Toss together leek mixture, spinach, bacon, bread crumbs, herbs, lemon zest and juice, sea salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and butter in a large bowl with a fork.
Bake oysters:
Spread 2 to 3 cups rock salt in each of 2 large shallow baking pans and nestle oysters (in shells) in it. Spoon a heaping tablespoon bread-crumb stuffing loosely on top of each oyster. Bake in batches in upper third of oven until golden, about 6 minutes.
Serve warm oysters in shells on plates lined with rock salt.
