Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen oysters
  
  

  Arborio crust: 1 cup Arborio rice ¼ cup coconut, shredded 2 Tablespoons anise seed 1 Tablespoon cumin 1 Tablespoon salt Fennel mash: 4 bulbs fennel, roasted 7 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled 4 Tablespoons butter ½ cup heavy cream

  Spicy melon salad: ½ honeydew melon, julienned (collect and save melon juice) ½ cantaloupe, julienned (collect and save melon juice) ¼ cup lime juice 1 cup oil, vegetable or blend Sriracha to taste Salt to taste

1. To prepare Arborio crust: Place all crust ingredients in coffee grinder or blender and grind until fine.
2. To prepare spicy melon salad: Combine lime juice, oil, sriracha and salt. Pour over melon.
3. To prepare fennel mash: Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Drain and add butter and heavy cream. Mash and set aside.
4. Split fennel bulbs into halves, then quarters. Toss fennel in bowl with ½ cup oil and 1 Tablespoon of salt. Wrap fennel in foil and roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Purée roasted fennel and fold into warm mashed potatoes. Add salt and adjust seasoning to taste.
5. To prepare oysters: Shuck oysters and set shells aside. Dip oysters in Arborio crust. Deep fry for 1 ½ minutes at 350 degrees.
6. To assemble: Arrange oyster shells however you wish to serve them. Place a dollop of the fennel mash on each shell. Place 1 oyster on top of each dollop and add some melon salad to each oyster. Drizzle some melon juice around the dish.

Recommended wine pairing: Hanna, Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, California 2000