Austria

As a kid on the farm, scalloped canned oysters were a mysterious staple on my grandmother's Christmas table. Tucked alongside the normal food, they seemed oddly out of place. Unlike anything else on the table, they felt downright luxe. I adored those oysters. Left mostly untouched by the pickier eaters, they were mine for the taking. The world was my oyster. 

Years later, the beat goes on. Whether shucked raw on the half shell, deep fried, poached, grilled, broiled, or baked, oysters are my holiday jam.

Baked Oysters Florentine With Hollandaise Mousseline

Shucked. Shucking oysters can be tedious. It helps to have an oyster knife and glove. I learned a little trick to ease the angst. After bringing water to a rolling boil in a large stock pot, I blanched the oysters for 20 seconds before plunging them into an ice bath. After draining the oysters, I shucked them with ease into a strainer placed over a bowl to catch their liquor without any grit, dropped the oysters into their liquor, and set them aside.

Spinach.  I rinsed, dried and chopped 1 large bunch Madison Count fresh spinach. After frying 4 strips bacon until crisp in a cast iron skillet, I removed the bacon, drained all but 2 tablespoons bacon, returned the skillet to the heat. and added 2 minced shallots.  When the shallots turned translucent, I added 2 cloves minced garlic. Before letting the garlic brown, I tumbled the spinach into the skillet along with 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 cup chopped chives, and1/4 cup torn fresh tarragon. As the spinach started to wilt, I deglazed the skillet with 1/4 cup white wine and let the wine reduce by half before hitting it with salt and cracked black pepper and setting it aside. Mousseline. Mousseline is an airy light combination of hollandaise and whipped cream. I've made plenty of old school hollandaise sauces over the years. It's a mother sauce that most everyone should have in their back pocket. That said, it can be tricky. Blender hollandaise if full proof.

  

After separating 6 large eggs, I dropped the yolks into the base of a blender along with. 4 tablespoons

freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon ground white pepper. I melted 1/2 pound unsalted butter over a medium flame and transferred it to a glass measuring cup. After blending the yolks and lemon juice until frothy, I slowly streamed the melted butter into the blender until  the sauce thickened and emulsified, poured the hollandaise into a small dish, and set it aside.

Whip it. After whipping 1 cup heavy whipped cream until it reached stiff peaks, I gently folded it into the hollandaise for the mousseline, and set it aside.

Stuffed. I spooned a small amount of the herby spinach mix  into the reserved oysters shells, nestled a plump oyster into each shell, topped the oysters with additional spinach, and spooned the mousseline over the spinach, letting it drip will-nilly over the sides. 

After scattering panko bread crumbs mixed with grated parmegiano-reggiano  over the mousseline, I slid the oysters into a 450 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

When browned and crisped, I pulled the oysters from the oven and  let them rest for 3 minutes before finishing with pearls of salmon roe and snipped fresh garden chives.

Although a far cry from my grandmother's oysters, they took me back to her holiday table.

A Christmas Past.

A Christmas Present.