baked oysters with tomato

Breadcrumbs mixed with Parmigiano Reggiano. As always, use real Parmigiano from Parma. If you're inclined to use the imitation stuff in the green cylinder then just stop reading right now. You would be considered unteachable and I cannot help you.

If I had spinach I would have used it. Alas, for I am forlornly spinachless. I thought diced Roma tomatoes would be pretty good, but they're not. My bad. My next batch will have spinach/cream/garlic. This just doesn't cut it. Nice try, but no cigar.

* I used lemon juice directly on the oysters and lemon zest mixed with the breadcrumbs.

* Dry Italian seasoning mixed with the topping.

* A few drops Worcestershire directly on each oyster following a few drops of lemon.

* Diced tomato plus diced onion following the drops

* Dry topping on top of tomato/onion.

* Insufficiently salty. I thought the Parmigiano would be enough salt but it wasn't.

* It needed something so at the table I added drops of Sriracha (Asian version of Tabasco) but even that didn't help much.

* I didn't have enough rock salt to steady the oysters. Thought I had a whole box but it was over half empty.

* Baked at 350℉ / 175℃ for 20 minutes. They were barely cooked. I would say, perfectly cooked.

What I learned: I'm a terrible oyster shucker. Those little bastards are hard to open. I didn't come out of it completely unscathed either. Had to bash one open with a hammer. Used a knife and a heavy flat-head screwdriver for leverage, then cut the abductor muscle. I think I lost a good deal of the oyster liquor by my clumsy fumbling and by the need to remove shell fragments chipped by my inexpert oyster opening. This is not a task for the faint-hearted or for easy-bleeders for that matter.

I gotta up my game.

Mind, I'm not complaining here, just describing. I did devour this whole pile, which I'm certain qualifies me as a proper pig.