OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER SANDWICH (PO-BOY)

Oysters Rockefeller Sandwich (Po-Boy) image

Provided by Food Network

Time 1h

Yield one 3 1/2-foot sandwich

Number Of Ingredients 23

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups diced onions
3 ounces diced garlic
4 ounces anise liqueur, such as Herbsaint
4 cups half-and-half, plus more as needed
4 ounces hot sauce
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons granulated onion
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon ground thyme
2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups breadcrumbs, plus more if needed
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, plus more if needed
3 cups yellow corn flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup lemon pepper
1 cup Creole seasoning
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 loaf French bread (about 3 1/2 feet long)
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 quart shucked Louisiana oysters
Grated Parmesan, for garnishing

Steps:

For the Rockefeller sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and bring to golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the liqueur (CAUTION: Skillet will flame up when using a gas range.) Add the half-and-half, hot sauce, granulated garlic, granulated onion, white pepper and ground thyme. Stir and bring to a simmer.
Add the spinach and bring back to a simmer. Turn off the flame and add the breadcrumbs and cheese. Check for consistency. If there's too much liquid, add more breadcrumbs and cheese. If it's too thick, add more half-and-half.
For the fry dredge: Whisk together the corn flour, all-purpose flour, Creole seasoning and lemon pepper in a large bowl.
For the sandwich: Melt the butter and garlic in a small skillet. Cut the French bread and "paint" the inside of the bread with the garlic butter. Firmly the press the inside of the bread down on a large skillet or flat-top grill to toast the bread.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer, a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Dredge the oysters in the fry dredge and then deep-fry, in batches if necessary, until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 2 minutes.
Arrange the oysters on the inside of the bread. Top with Rockefeller sauce and garnish with Parmesan.