Oyster Rockefeller

It's taken me a few days but I said I would share my step dad's oyster rockefeller recipe, and here it is. This is a divinely rich appetizer that we prefer to eat for dinner. It's that good. In fact I don't like oysters at all, but cooked and dressed up this way, I'll eat them all day long. Yum.

First off your gonna need plenty of fresh oysters. 2-3 dozen would heartily feed 2 for dinner, maybe even leave some extra's. A restaurant usually gives 6 as an appetizer. You decide how many you'd need for your family and we'll move on to prep....

Next your gonna need to scrub any sand or mud off the shells. If you don't, it can get into the oyster later and provide a gritty crunch you won't enjoy with your meal, lol.

• Next your gonna need to get the oyster shell open (also known as "shucking an oyster"). You'll need an oyster knife similar to what I have in the photo. Actually if I were gonna do this often I would get a better oyster knife, the one I have shown above wasn't all that great, but did get the job done.
• Find a clean rag you don't care about and hold the oyster in it to protect your hand from being cut or scratched up.
• Instead of opening the oyster where it naturally opens in the front, open it at the back end (as shown above), believe it or not it's much easier at that end. Put the knife in between the two shells, and twist. It should pop right open. Every once in a while you'll get an oyster that is impossible to get open, even with the knife - in that case pop it in the oven for 3-4 minutes (not any longer or it will dry out). It kills the oyster and relaxes the muscle that keeps the shell closed, you still have to use the knife though.
• Each oyster has 2 shells, one half is flatter, the other is a bit deeper. Sometimes it's hard to tell but there's always a difference. It's best to leave the oyster on the shell that's deeper so you have more dish to hold the toppings your adding later. Throw the other shell away.
• You'll need to use the knife to scrap the oyster off the half shell you'll be throwing away.

Now you have oysters on the half shell. Make sure you rinse off any dirt that may have gotten on the oyster, get rid of excess water in the shell and place on a cookie sheet.

Next is time to add the pesto sauce. You can use any recipe or even buy it at the store. The following is my step dad's recipe and I can tell you it's amazing!

• 1 Bag Spinach (more or less)
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 Cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese (Finely Grated)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• OPTIONAL: a few tbsp sour cream, finely chopped walnuts, or finely chopped pinenuts.

Throw everything listed above in a food processor (blending one at a time) until it’s almost pasty and you have pesto sauce

Cover oysters with a spoonful of pesto sauce (more or less adjusting to size of oyster) and as much freshly grated parmesan cheese as you can pack on. Bake at 400 for 14 minutes.

Here's what it should look like when you pull it out of the oven. Best eaten hot. Enjoy!