Roasted Oysters with Lemon-Anise Stuffing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons anise liqueur (such as ouzo)
• 2 teaspoons butter 
• 0.3 cup less-sodium chicken broth fat-free
• 1 tablespoon fennel fronds chopped
• 1.5 cups fennel bulb finely chopped
• 1  garlic clove minced
• 1 Dash ground pepper red
• 0.3 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 2 teaspoons juice of lemon fresh
• 0.5 teaspoon lemon rind grated
• 1.5 ounces parmigiano-reggiano cheese fresh shredded
• 12  shucked oysters 
• 1.5 ounce bread white

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• baking pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 7 times or until coarse crumbs measure about 1 cup.
3. Place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until toasted.
5. Transfer to a plate; cool.
6. Position oven rack to the top one-third of the oven. Increase oven temperature to 42
7. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
8. Add fennel and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring often.
9. Add broth and salt; cover and cook 5 minutes or until fennel is tender. Uncover and cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Stir in liqueur; cook 1 minute or until liqueur evaporates.
10. Transfer fennel mixture to a bowl; add breadcrumbs, cheese, fennel fronds, rind, juice, and red pepper. Toss to combine.
11. Arrange oysters in a single layer on a large baking pan. Top each oyster with about 1 tablespoon fennel mixture.
12. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until the edges of the oysters begin to curl and the stuffing is lightly browned.
13. Serve immediately.
14. Wine note: Contrast the rich texture of these oysters with a cold, crisp chablis. A classic partner for oysters, chablis brings out the mineral quality of these prized shellfish while its palate-cleansing acidity nicely slices the butter- and cheese-laced stuffing. William Fevre Chablis Champs Royaux 2007 ($2
15. is a good entry-level chablis, with its orchard fruit and floral aromas, lively citrus flavor, and steely finish. Jeffery Lindenmuth