Melt the butter in a large
skillet and add the celery, scallions and parsley. sauté for 5 minutes, then add
the Worcestershire and Tabasco. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the Pernod and bread crumbs; cook for 5 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the heat and
transfer the mixture to a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, until cold
but not firmly set.
Shuck oysters. Discard the top
shells; scrub and dry the bottom shells. Drain the oysters. Arrange several
oyster shells in baking pans lined with about 1 inch of rock salt. Arrange
several pans in advance, if desired. Place 1 oyster in each shell.
Heat oven to 375°. Remove the chilled Rockefeller
topping from the refrigerator and beat it with an electric mixer to evenly
distribute the butter and infuse air into the mixture; transfer the mixture to a
pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe a tablespoon of the mixture onto
each oyster, then bake in a 375° oven for 5 to 8 minutes.
Allow about 6 oysters for each
guest. If possible, bake these in batches of 6 in oven-safe pans, so each person
can be served a pan of hot Oysters Rockefeller right out of the oven.
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