Baked Oysters on the Half Shell

I've been nagging Eric since Christmas about buying oysters every once in a while. Yes, they are pricier than our usual groceries, but every once in a while doesn't hurt! Anyway, we finally got a good reason to buy some (our 5 year wedding anniversary!) and since we spent the day in Lille and ate at the restaurant of his choice, dinner was my choice... oysters, shrimp, champagne, and a mean bubble bath! I always eat my oysters raw because they're just delicious with a squirt of lemon, but I've been hearing an awful lot about baked oysters and I'd never been able to try them because I'm always too busy chowing them down raw. Since we got such an excellent deal (24 oysters for 12€ unheard of!!) we saved a few for my experiment... which turned out delicious!!
Appetizer for 2
Ingredients:
10 fresh oysters
1/2 of a camembert or brie cheese, skinned
1 handful shredded swiss
1/4 cup white wine
1 shallot finely diced
2 tbsp heavy cream
a few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
fresh ground pepper
a huge heap of large salt, or foil to hold the oysters in place
Directions:
1. In a saucepan cook the shallot in the wine and reduce. Add the cheeses and parsley on low heat and melt, stirring. Stir in the heavy cream.
2. Carefully open the oysters and pour out the liquid. You can reserve the liquid for a sauce in another recipe if you want. Eric deeply cut himself while doing this and left 2 unopened, so please be careful.
3. Pour the heap of salt into a baking dish and place the oysters inside. The salt is just to hold them in place and will not salt the oysters.
4. Spoon the mixture into each of the oysters with some fresh ground pepper on top. Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 400°F
Excellent.
This would also wow some company if you take the time to present it well. I made this today as a snack and I didn't even bother to shower or get dressed yet...
Anyone who says they don't like oysters should try them this way. The texture is much different than raw!