3 tablespoons breadcrumbs fresh (preferably from a day-old baguette)
1 pinch ground pepper
2 teaspoons celery minced
1 tablespoon parsley fresh finely chopped
10 cups kosher salt for baking and serving (3 lb
20 small dozens oysters picked over scrubbed for shell fragents and shells well
1 teaspoon rum
3 tablespoons spring onion finely chopped
3.5 tablespoons butter unsalted
0.8 cup watercress packed finely chopped (2 oz before discarding coarse stems)
Equipment
bowl
frying pan
paper towels
oven
baking pan
Directions
Toss together watercress, spinach, scallion greens, parsley, celery, and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon bread crumbs in a bowl. Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add watercress mixture and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in Pernod, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer mixture to a bowl and chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
While watercress mixture chills, cook bacon in cleaned skillet over moderate heat, turning, until crisp, then drain on paper towels and finely crumble.
Spread 5 cups kosher salt in a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and nestle oysters (in shells) in it. Spoon watercress mixture evenly over oysters, then top with bacon and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons bread crumbs.
Bake oysters until edges of oysters begin to curl and bread crumbs are golden, about 10 minutes.
Serve warm oysters in shells, nestled in kosher salt (about 5 cups), on a platter.
