Colchester Oysters En Brioche Recipe

1. Cut the butter into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes and put in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 20 seconds or until it melts. Stir in the lemon rind and juice.
2. Using a grapefruit knife, cut out the centre of the brioche and remove. Discard the crumbs from the underside of each lid and reserve the lids. This should give 4 hollow brioche 'baskets' with lids and a space inside for the filling.
3. Brush the outsides and insides of each brioche and lid with the lemon butter (reserving about 5 ml [1 level tsp] for the spinach).
4. Open the oysters and free them from their shells.
5. Put the spinach on a heatproof plate and cover with cling film. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Chop the hot spinach quickly, adding the reserved lemon butter, then quickly divide the mixture between the 4 brioches.
6. On each bed of spinach place 1 oyster and its juice. Grind black pepper generously over all. Replace the lids and arrange, evenly spaced, around a heatproof serving plate. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Remove the lids and sprinkle 3 drops (no more) of Pernod over each oyster.

Ingredients 50 g (2 oz) butter
Finely shredded rind of 1 lemon
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
4 small (single serving) firm brioches
4 live Colchester or Whitstable oysters
75 g (3 oz) fresh spinach, roughly torn and washed
Freshly ground black pepper
2.5 ml (½ tsp) Pernod

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