Oysters Rockefeller
Photo: David Veksler · CC BY-SA 2.0

History

Oysters Rockefeller was invented at Antoine's in 1899 by Jules Alciatore, son of founder Antoine Alciatore. The dish was an Antoine's response to a French escargot shortage; Jules wanted a baked-oyster dish as rich and as expensive-tasting as escargots. The sauce was named for the wealth of John D Rockefeller. The exact original recipe has been kept secret by the Alciatore family for over a century, but it is widely known to NOT contain spinach (a common modern substitution). The canonical version uses butter, parsley, watercress, fennel, scallions and Herbsaint (the New Orleans anise liqueur). Antoine's at 713 St Louis still plates Oysters Rockefeller every night.

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Common allergens: Shellfish, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 30 minTotal 40 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 12 oysters on the half shell
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 30g fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 30g watercress, finely chopped
  • 30g fresh fennel fronds, chopped
  • 30g scallions (white and green), chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Herbsaint (or Pernod)
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon panko breadcrumbs
  • Rock salt, to plate

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 230C (450F). Pour a 2cm bed of rock salt into a heavy oven-proof tray.
  2. Combine butter, parsley, watercress, fennel, scallions, garlic, Herbsaint, cayenne and Worcestershire. Whip to a smooth green paste.
  3. Nestle the oysters on their shells into the rock salt (the salt keeps them level). Top each oyster with a heaped teaspoon of the green butter. Sprinkle a pinch of breadcrumbs over each.
  4. Bake 8 minutes, until the butter is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden.
  5. Serve immediately on the rock salt bed.

Tip from the editors. Antoine's keeps the recipe secret; the green is supposed to come from herbs, not spinach. Don't substitute spinach for parsley and watercress.

Where to eat oysters rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller in New Orleans

Antoine's ★ 4.4

$$$$ Tasting $60 to $110 a la carteCajun & CreoleChef Michael Regua

Antoine's in New Orleans is the 1840 St Louis Street dining room, the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States and the birthplace of Oysters.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

Directions Book

Arnaud's ★ 4.4

$$$$ Tasting $70 to $110 a la carteFrench regionalChef Tommy DiGiovanni

Arnaud's in New Orleans is the 1918 French Creole room on Bienville from Arnaud Cazenave, with mosaic-tile floors, the French 75 Bar next door and a costume.

Book1 to 2 weeks ahead

Directions Book

Galatoire's ★ 4.7

$$$$ Tasting $70 to $120 a la carteFrench regionalChef Phillip Lopez

Galatoire's in New Orleans is the 1905 white-tile French Creole room on Bourbon Street, where regulars hold the same Friday lunch tables and tip the captain.

BookWalk-in downstairs; book upstairs 1 week ahead ahead

Directions Book

Acme Oyster House ★ 4.2

$$ SeafoodUntil Daily kitchen until 22:00

Acme Oyster House in New Orleans is the 1910 Iberville Street oyster bar between Bourbon and Royal, with char-grilled oysters and the shucker counter running.

TryChar-grilled oysters

TipClosing time is 22:00 daily; the back of the room runs faster than the front raw bar after 21:00.

Directions

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