INGREDIENTS:Spinach Mixture:
2 bacon strips
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup minced onion
1 oz. Pernod liquor
½ cup cream
2 cups spinach, cooked and chopped
1 portobello mushroom, 5-6-inch diameter
as needed, olive oil
to taste, salt and pepper
2 slices provolone cheese
4 smoked oysters
for garnish, brunoise of tri-colored peppers and fried tangle of Yukon Gold Potatoes
DIRECTIONS:Render bacon and sautée garlic and onions in bacon fat. Deglaze pan with Pernod. Add cream and cook over moderate heat until quantity is reduced by half. Turn off heat and fold in spinach. Clean gills from mushroom; brush lightly with olive oil. Grill and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place mushroom on baking sheet and spoon spinach mixture over top. Top with provolone cheese and bake until hot. When complete, cut into four pie-like sections and top each with a warm, cooked smoked oyster. Sprinkle with brunoise of peppers over entire plate and garnish with fried potatoes.SERVINGS:1 servingFrom:Executive chef Gary Fick, The Crossing at Casey Jones, La Plata, MarylandPHOTO CREDIT:Photo Credit: MUSHROOM COUNCIL