Oyster Tartlets

Oysters are prominent part of the Gulf Coast holiday meals, and they play a big role in New Orleans chef John Besh's dinner. These oysters are in spinach mini tratlet shells, then they are topped with a creamy horseradish sauce and crispy panko, bread crumbs. This recipe has been tweaked a bit! F&W Magazine, 12/2007.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1  tablespoon  minced onion
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1  bay leaf
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  prepared horseradish
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice (not the bottled kind)
• 3⁄4 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 1⁄2 cup  freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 24  prebaked spinach miniature phyllo cups
• 24  small  shucked  oysters or 24  small  smoked oysters

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over moderately high heat.
3. Stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk & cream cheese, until smooth.
4. Bring to a simmer, whisking.
5. Stir in the onion, garlic powder and bay leaf and simmer over low heat, whisking, until no floury taste remains, 10 minutes.
6. Pass through a coarse strainer set over a small bowl; discard the bay leaf, and add lemon juice.
7. Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper.
8. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the sauce.
9. In a small bowl, combine the panko and cheese and stir in the olive oil.
10. Arrange the phyllo shells on a rimmed baking sheet.
11. Place an oyster in each shell.
12. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the horseradish sauce into each shell, and sprinkle the panko mixture on top.
13. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 10 minutes, until hot throughout and crisp on top.
14. Serve right away.