Oysters Rockefeller

INGREDIENTS (Makes Enough for 2 dozen oysters)

1 tbsp. salted butter

1 tbsp. garlic, minced

3 tbsp. shallots, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Pernod or Sambuca (licorice-flavored liqueur)

3 cups spinach, chopped into rough pieces

S & P to taste

1/4 cup Pecorino romano cheese, grated

(lemon wedges and coarse salt, optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.

2. Add garlic and shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Deglaze pan with Samba (make sure you remove pan from the flame before adding the alcohol and ignite.)

4. Once the flame has died down, add the cream to the pan and reduce by half, approximately 4 minutes. Add spinach, remove from the heat, and toss to wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add Pecorino romano cheese and whisk to mix and incorporate.

6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

7. Shuck oysters. Top each oyster (half shell) with 1 tbsp. of the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with extra Pecorino romano cheese and bake for 4 minutes (or may broil on top rack for 2-3 minutes). Watch carefully so they do not burn.

   **May be served on crushed ice or coarse salt. Garnish with lemon wedges.

   ***Spinach mixture may be made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.