- 6 slices bacon
- 24 oysters or clams on the half shell
- Rock salt
- ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots or green onions
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- ½ cup finely chopped green pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Arrange the bacon strips on the broiler rack and broil about 2 inches from the heat until half cooked. Remove; drain on paper towels and cut each piece of bacon into 4 pieces.
- Arrange the oysters or clams on beds of rock salt in 4 aluminum foil pie plates.
- Blend the butter, shallots, parsley, green pepper, lemon juice, salt, and pepper well by beating them together with a wooden spatula or blending them in a blender or food processor.
- Put the herbed butter on top of the oysters or clams and cover with a piece of bacon. Put the pie plates on cookie sheets or baking sheets and slide them under the hot broiler with the oysters or clams about 2 inches from the heat. Broil just long enough to brown the bacon and heat the oysters through.
- Put the pie plates on serving plates and serve as a first course.