Oysters Kilpatrick - cooking recipe

Ingredients

24 fresh oysters, in their shells
rock salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
30 g butter
4 slices bacon, rind and all fat removed, finely diced
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
lemon wedge, to serve

Preparation

Preheat the grill to the highest temperature.
Arrange the oysters on a bed of rock salt in a large, shallow, ovenproof dish.
Combine the Worcestershire sauce and butter in a small saucepan and heat the butter until it melts and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
Spoon a little of the Worcestershire sauce and butter mixture over each oyster, and top evenly with the diced bacon and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Cook under a preheated grill for 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp.
Sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
Variation: The recipe for Oyster's Kilpatrick on Huey's website is Cath Claringbold's (from Mecca Bah in Melbourne), and varies from this more traditional recipe by including 100g finely chopped onion which is gently sauteed with the bacon in some olive oil. When the onions and bacon are removed from the stove, 2 drops of Tabasco sauce (this is for 3 dozen oysters) are added along with the Worcestershire sauce. Otherwise, the steps are much the same. I'm including this variation here, because unlike me some chefs I know are always looking for ways to add extra heat!