Oysters Rockefeller
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings (24 oysters)
- 8tablespoons/113 grams unsalted butter
- ½cup panko bread crumbs
- 1cup finely chopped baby spinach
- 1cup finely chopped parsley, leaves and tender stems
- 1large shallot, finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a press or minced
- Pinch of fine sea salt or table salt
- 1lemon
- Coarse, rock or kosher salt, or crumbled-up foil, for the pan (to stabilize the oysters)
- 24oysters, shucked
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
332 calories; 20 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 603 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the bread crumbs and sauté until they are just a tiny bit golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the spinach, parsley, shallot and garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in a small pinch of salt.
- Step 2
Finely grate ½ teaspoon zest from the lemon and add it to the bread crumb mixture. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out 1 tablespoon of the juice; mix into the pan.
- Step 3
Heat the broiler to high. Fill a baking pan (or two) with a ½-inch layer of salt or line the pan with crumbled up foil (to steady the oysters so the juices don’t spill). Lay the oysters on top of the salt or foil. Spoon about ½ tablespoon of the sauce mixture on top of the oysters. Broil until just golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve hot, with a squeeze of lemon on top, if you like.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Prakash Nadkarni
@Mark: Nonfiction writer William Poundstone (whose "Fortune's Formula" and "Priceless" are must-reads) had a sample of Antoine's recipe analysed for his book "Big Secrets". Anise, as you note, was prominent. However, there WAS spinach. In the classic short "French Rarebit", Bugs Bunny offers to teach a Paris chef how to make "Backbay Bayou Bunny Bordelaise de la Antoine". When the chef asks "You mean Chef Antoine of New Orleans?", Bugs replies "Well, I don't mean Chef Antoine of Flatbush!"
Mark
The original Antoine's recipe, though never actually revealed does not include spinach, though countless versions do. Missing here however is the addition of an anise flavor liquor like absinthe, pernod or pastis, which I consider essential to a proper oysters rock!
Russ
Yes, my mother's recipe always called for Pernod and was made with all frozen spinach, run through the blender. She also added anchovy paste for seasoning. We always had extra sauce left over which was frozen. Another way to serve these is several oysters in a large scallop shell with the sauce on top.
Kate
We lived in New Orleans in the 1960's and my parents loved Antoine's. Just for the fun of eating tons of Oysters Rockefeller, my mother and her best friend tried to decode Antoine's recipe. I don't know if you, my friends, will approve of this but they decided the finest puree of spinach could be found in a jar of spinach baby food! What do you think of that?
Beth
Yes, a dash (or more) of Pernod is essential!
LC
A muffin tin is a perfect for baking oyster Rockefeller, just balance each open oyster in a cup!
Rachel
I used the best and freshest ingredients straight from Cape Cod. Pernod is needed and used. It is still just an ok recipe. Eat 'em raw and fresh is a better recipe!
Tim
almost like the char grilled oysters at Acme in NO I think if you fry oysters in garlic and butter everyone I know likes oysters :)
Susan Joyce Sabo
I used to make classic Oysters Rockefeller often when I lived in Maryland. I used spinach, Pernod, anchovy paste and some other ingredients. This recipe omits many of them. I'll stick with my original formula.
Ken M.
Incredibly good. I've made it twice so far. I left the Pernod out the second time because I couldn't get the bottle open...but it was still a knockout.
A.S.
Made this for a group and they were a big hit. Only change was I added some grated, fresh parm. It’s a lot of chopping but otherwise easy and delicious
Rich
My mom always makes this with Thanksgiving dinner and uses pernot and frozen spinach. Last year I was with my kids and couldn't find pernot but now I'm thinking ouzo would work too.
Don B
Definitely an anise note is necessary. Some claim the original provided it with Pernod, others claim the non-spinach green in the original was fresh chervil, which provides the green *and* the anise note, but is not in many markets in the U.S.
Stephen Lamade
Ms. Clarke has another version of Oysters Rockefeller that contains Pernod: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015613-melissa-clarks-oysters-rockefeller Should one no longer wish to skirt the shores of orthodoxy, there are versions of Oysters Rockefeller that use a cheese sauce. These generally call for the oysters to be lightly cooked and briefly braised in white wine before being added back to the shell and sauced.
Brobson Lutz
in spite of what was reported in "Big Secrets" Galatoires and Antoines do not use spinach in their Oysters Rockefeller. The primary greens are parsley, the tops of green onions (AKA elsewhere scallions), and sometimes fennel greens. A touch of anise is essential. Some recipes call for a dash of Pernod, but such spirits evaporate quickly in New Orleans kitchens. Galatoires, at least in past years, used powdered anise. The biggest secret of all -- a dash of GREEN FODD COLORING
cedge mo
For many oysters,shuck them into muffin tins. the Rockefeller recipe will work perfectly.
Hackett Cummins
My paternal grandmother moved to New Orleans in 1919 as the wife of a Tulane professor. Family lore purports that she and another faculty wife obtained this recipe from "a famous N.O. restaurant". As a child in the 50's, I would help them prepare large quantities of the "Rockefeller Butter" that were given as Christmas gifts in small Mason jars. Our fridge always held a jar or two. It was great on toast and as a dressing for hard-boiled eggs, but couldn't be beat as a topping on several oysters.
JuJu of NOLA
I have no idea what the family of Jules Alciatore put in this dish, but I live close to Antoine's and the joy of eating there far outweighs any attempts by me. This is one of the more perfect foods!
Steve
My wife and I are partial to the charbroiled oysters at Drago’s. At some point, I’m going to try to decode that recipe. I imagine I’ll do them on my charcoal grill - they use wood - because the smoke flavor is so essential to their recipe. No spinach, and served with a side of French bread for sopping up garlic butter and oyster liquor. It’s BYO Lipitor, though. :-)
Tim in Chilltown
Happy this recipe popped up here, I was looking for a seafood snack for the New Year holiday coming up. I don't have any Pernod or other anise flavored booze lying around as others suggest is essential and as my taste buds remember from a long time ago, I think I may put a generous amount of tarragon in to give it some of that licorice-y flavor. Or maybe I'll just go ahead and buy the booze.
Mad About You
It’s watercress at Antoine’s, not spinach.
Michael O'Brien
What about subbing watercress or arugula for the spinach??
Jonathan Brown
I discovered what was called oysters Rockefeller at a restaurant on the Riverwalk in San Antonio 20 years ago. Came back a couple of times to eat them again. (I was visiting to attend a professional meeting.). That recipe included finely chopped bacon along with the spinach and whatever else.
Wabisabi
Pascal’s Manale in New Orleans makes perfect Oysters Rockefeller. Wish I had that recipe.
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