Oysters Rockefeller are so rich and decadent that they were named after the wealthiest man in the country at the time! A special occasion appetizer that is worth sourcing oysters for!
Get out a baking sheet large enough to hold the 18 oysters on. Sprinkle enough of the rock or kosher salt to cover the sheet.
Prepare the oysters. Rinse them off, then if they aren't opened already, carefully open the oysters. (See the link in the post above on how to open oysters.)
Place the open oysters on a sheet pan, nestling them into the salt to hold them upright and then refrigerate until needed.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan.
Add the shallots to the melted butter and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes, ensuring they don't burn.
Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add the spinach and saute until the spinach is wilted.
Add in the Pernod or the white wine and saute another minute. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Remove from the heat and place the finished mixture into a bowl and into the refrigerator to cool quickly.
Melt the butter in the pan. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add in the breadcrumbs and stir to mix in with the butter and garlic.
Add in the parsley and let wilt slightly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, then salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Remove the oysters from the fridge.
Place one tablespoon of the spinach mixture on top of each oyster.
Top each finished oyster with the panko bread crumbs mixture, dividing between them evenly.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the oysters are plumped and cooked.