Recipe - Roasted Oysters With Country Bacon

24 Fresh oysters, in their
shells
2 Plum tomatoes
1 pack Phyllo dough
One fourth cup Olive oil
1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
3 lg Shallots, (about One fourth cup)
peeled and finely minced
One fourth cup White wine
One fourth cup Heavy cream
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh tarragon
leaves
2 ounce Bacon, cooked and chopped
One half cup Steamed spinach (optional)
Coarse salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a towel, grasp an oyster in the palm of
your hand. Press the oyster, rounded side down, on a firm surface, still
holding it with the towel. Shuck the oyster by wedg ing the tip of an
oyster knife (regular knives are too thinbladed) between the halves of the
shell, at the shell's narrowest end. When the knife tip is securely wedged,
rotate the blade to pry open t he shell. Slide the knife blade along the
length of the shell to open completely. Remove the oyster from the shell
and reserve, along with its juice. From each pair of oyster shells, save
the one tha t is most concave on the inside, and discard the one that is
flatter. Place the concave shells in a pan of cold water and scrub inside
and out. Place the clean oyster shells on a cookie sheet and set aside.

Dip the tomatoes briefly in boiling water to loosen the skins, then in ice
water. Peel, cut in half, remove and discard the seeds and dice.

Lay out the phyllo dough one sheet at a time on a clean work surface. Brush
the sheet lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, crumble the
sheet like a piece of newspaper and place on a coo kie sheet. Bake at 350
degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

Have the sauce ingredients measured and ready beside the stove. When you
are ready to begin cooking the oysters, place the cookie sheet containing
the oyster shells in a 350 degree oven. On the top of the stove, melt the
butter in a hot saute pan until it begins to foam. Add the shallots, the
oysters and their juice, and the white wine. Cook the oysters f or 30
seconds, then add the heavy cream. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce to a
simmer for just a minute more, or until the oysters' edges begin to curl.
Add the tomato, tarragon, and bacon. Heat fo r another 30 seconds, then
remove promptly from the heat.

Remove the oyster shells from the oven and arrange six on each plate. Spoon
an oyster into each shell and spoon a little of the sauce over each. Top
each dish with top hat of crispy phyllo.

From Michael's Place Show # 1A25

Recipe by: Michael Lomonaco Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #534 by "Master
Harper Gaellon" gaellon@inch.com on Mar 21, 1997