Baked Oysters

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add pancetta and cook an additional minute. Add spinach, one cup at a time, and saute until tender. About 2 minutes. Turn the heat down low and add white wine to deglaze. Let simmer to evaporate. Turn off heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
3. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and place in a small bowl with the panko crumbs. Toss until panko crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.
4. Line a small baking sheet with 2-3 cups of rock/sea salt. This will prevent oysters from tipping. If you don’t have salt, you can use a crinkled sheet of aluminum foil instead.
5. Shuck the oysters and nestle them into the salt bed. I like to retain some of the oyster brine but you can discard it if you prefer. You want the deeper half of the shell to hold the oysters so you have plenty of room for the filling.
6. Top each oyster with a spoonful of spinach/cheese mixture and then a spoonful of buttered panko crumbs.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until panko crumbs are golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges.