Oyster Madeleine Pan Roast

By pattynorman1947

Holiday side dish

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 2 lbs. fresh spinach
• 3 tbsp. bacon fat
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup celery
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp crushed toasted fennel seed
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Doz shucked medium oysters
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a med soup pot over low heat; add spinach, raise heat to medium, and stir, turning until just wilted. Remove from pan. turn into a colander, and press water out as much as possible, reserving spinach liquor. Allow spinach to cool, then chop roughly.
In a med. saute' pan over med heat, melt bacon fat and whisk into flour. Continue whisking until roux just begins to turn golden and smell nutty. Add onion, garlic, and celery, and stir until vegetables soften. Stir in 3/4 cup of the reserved spinach liquor, cream, lemon juice, thyme, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed, and continue stirring until mixture thickens.
Blend in `1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and stir in chopped spinach. Combine well. Season lightly to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool briefly.
Stir in oysters gently and pour mix into a large pie tin rubbed with butter. Combine remaining parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and lemon zest; sprinkle over casserole and bake at 375 degrees for 20 mins or until breadcrumbs toast