Oyster Gratin

These oysters are melt-in-your mouth tender and the savoury mixture gives them just the right flavour. Buy already shucked oysters for the dish to save some time. From Lucy Waverman at Food and Drink.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped parsley
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped celery
• 2  green onions, chopped
• 1  garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped watercress leaf
• 1⁄4 cup  fresh breadcrumb
• 1  teaspoon Pernod (optional) or 1  teaspoon anisette (optional)
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 8  oysters, chucked, reserving any juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a skillet on medium-high heat, melt butter. When butter sizzles, add parsley, celery, green onions and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add watercress and cook for a further minute.
3. Place in food processor and pureé with 2 tbsp (25 mL) breadcrumbs and Pernod. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place oysters and 1 tbsp of oyster juice in small gratin dish. Top with watercress pureé and sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs. Bake 10 minutes or until edges of oysters have curled slightly.
5. For an alternate presentation, oysters can be topped with pureé and baked in their shells.