Rock Salt 1 c coarsely chopped scallions,
2 dozen large oysters, shucked, with including 3 inches of green tops
all their liquor and the deeper 4 tsp coarsely chopped garlic
halves of their shells reserved ½ pound butter, cut into ½-inch bits
1 pound uncooked shrimp ¼ c flour
½ pound fresh mushrooms, trimmed, ½ c dry red wine
wiped with a dampened towel, and ¼ c canned tomato purée
coarsely chopped 1½ tsp ground hot red pepper(cayenne)
1 c coarsely chopped onions 1 tsp salt
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Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the rock salt to a depth of about ½ inch
in four 8- to 9-inch pie pans. Arrange the pans on two large baking sheets
and set them on the middle shelf of the oven to heat the salt while you
prepare the oysters.Drain the oysters and their liquor through a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Measure and reserve ½ cup of the oyster liquor. (If there is less than ½ c, add enough water to make that amount.) Transfer the oysters to a bowl and set them aside. Scrub the oyster shells thoroughly with a stiff brush, then pat them dry with paper towels.
Shell the shrimp. Devein them by making a shallow incision down their backs with a small, sharp knife and lifting out the black or white intestinal vein with the point of the knife. Wash the shrimp briefly in a sieve or colander set under cold running water and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
Put the shrimp, mushrooms, onions, scallions and garlic through the finest blade of a food grinder. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, add the ground shrimp mixture and, stirring frequently, cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until almost all the liquid that accumulates in the pan has evaporated.
Add the flour and mix well. Then, stirring constantly, gradually pour in the red wine, tomato purée and the reserved ½ c of oyster liquor, and cook over moderate heat until the sauce comes to a boil, thickens heavily and is smooth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour. Stir in the red pepper and salt, and taste for seasoning.
With a rubber spatula, scrape the entire contents of the skillet into the jar of an electric blender and blend at medium speed until the mixture is a smooth purée.
Arrange six oyster shells attractively in each of the salt-lined pans and place an oyster in each shell. Spoon the sauce over the oysters, dividing it equally among them. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the oysters begin to curl at the edges.
Serve the oysters Roffignac at once, directly from the baking pans. Serves 4 as a first course.
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 the dish. You may, if you like, bake the oysters in any shallow baking pan, or pans large enough to hold the shells in one layer, and serve them from a heated platter.
