Rock salt 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 slices lean bacon 3 drops Tabasco sauce
½ c finely chopped shallots 2 dozen large oysters, shucked, and
¼ c finely chopped celery the deeper half shell of each
2 T finely chopped green pepper reserved
2 tsp strained fresh lemon juice 1 lemon, cut lengthwise into quarters
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Preheat the broiler to its highest setting. Spread the rock salt to a
depth of about ½ inch in 6 individual shallow baking pans--each large enough
to hold half a dozen oysters comfortably. (Or spread a ½-inch layer of salt
in the bottom of one or two shallow baking-serving dishes that are large
enough to hold all of the oysters.) Arrange the pans on one or two large
baking sheets and set them in the oven to heat the salt while you prepare the
oysters.In a heavy 6- to 8-inch skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat until it is crisp and brown and has rendered all its fat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
Add the shallots, celery and green pepper to the fat remaining in the skillet and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Drain the vegetables in a small sieve and drop them into a bowl. Add the reserved bacon, the lemon juice, Worcestershire and Tabasco, and toss together gently but thoroughly.
Scrub the oyster shells thoroughly under cold running water, then pat them dry. Arrange them in a single layer in the salt-lined pans and place an oyster in each shell.
Spoon the vegetable-and-bacon mixture on top of the oysters, dividing it evenly among them.
Broil about 3 inches from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the oysters plump up and their edges begin to curl slightly. Serve at once, directly from the baking dishes, and garnish the oysters with lemon wedges. Serves 4.
NOTE: While the bed of salt helps to keep the shells from tipping and, if heated beforehand, will keep the oysters hot, it is not indispensable to the success of this dish. You may, if you like, bake the oysters in any shallow baking pan or pans large enough to hold the shells snugly in one layer, and serve them from a heated platter.
