There’s much debate over how many of America’s greatestrecipes got their name, but that’s not an issue with Oyster Rockefeller. Thanksto the rich, money-colored butter sauce, this decadent creation’s name prettymuch wrote itself.Besides the obvious, superficial reasons, associating yournew shellfish appetizer with the most affluent family of the day was a strokeof social media genius. Hey, just because Twitter wouldn’t be invented foranother 107 years doesn’t mean people didn’t “retweet” things.
When Jules Alciatore invented the dish in 1899, he wasn’ttrying to create a classic, new American shellfish appetizer; he was simplytrying to replace snails in his diet. That’s right, what would become America’sgreatest seafood appetizer (sorry, crab cakes) was just a delicious work-aroundfor a serious shortage of French snails in New Orleans.To say the customers of Antoine's were happy with this localsubstitution would be a huge understatement. They went crazy for it. The dishquickly gained national attention, with the most famous celebrities,politicians, and foreign dignitaries of the day stumbling over each to get aplate or three.
The original secret recipe really is a secret; so allversions, including mine, are just guesses. There is agreement among foodieswho study such matters that spinach was not part of the formula, but the muchspicier and more flavorful watercress was used.Neither were mushrooms, bacon, ham, cheese, garlic, or any otherlater day add-ons. Not that those ingredient aren’t good baked on top ofoysters, but that just wasn’t how Mr. Alciatore rolled. So if you are lookingfor a special occasion appetizer that tastes, looks, and makes you feel (andsound) rich, then I hope you give this oyster Rockefeller recipe a try. Enjoy!
Makes enough for about 3 dozen oysters Rockefeller:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) room temp
2 tbsp minced green onions, white and light green parts
2 tbsp diced celery
2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
2 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped watercress leaves
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
2 tbsp Pernod liquor
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 dozen oysters on the half shell
Bonus How to Open Oyster Video!
My friend Tamar, from Starving Off the Land, does a much better job of showing how to open oysters, but that’s only because she raises them and gets a lot more practice! That, and she’s better at it. Also, a special thanks to Sky Sabin Productions for their fine work on this.
For some additional shucking info, and tons of oyster recipe links, you can also check out this article on Allrecipes.com. Enjoy!
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During Spring/Summer, our Weber grill gets quite a workout. Alas, our outdoor grills are tucked in for our California winters. Our tomato plants are spent, and our small herb and vegetable garden is looking a bit sparse. Sigh. 
Our thyme and marjoram are still hearty, this time of year, and they don't go to waste in the kitchen. It soups & stew season, and I'm ready!
Pinkie promise? Thank you. I'm not gonna lie. It takes about an hour to get the stew ready. Enough talking-- I'll show you how I made this:
Finely chop 2 fresh carrots. Yes, I took a shortcut and let my food processor do the work. Clean and quarter one pound of fresh white mushrooms.
I then added 2 cloves of minced garlic for the last 30 seconds, removed the onions and set those aside.
In the same pan, add a little olive oil and saute the carrots for 2-3 minutes-- just until soft. Remove and set aside.
Add one cup of beef broth and one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (my not-so-secret flavor builder).
Add the browned beef into you Dutch oven, slow cooker or pressure cooker. Pour the sauce over it.
Tie a few springs of fresh marjoram and thyme (thyme only will do) and nestle it into the stew.
Meanwhile prepare the mushrooms:
The pressure cooker beeped, and it's time to release the pressure. (My cat doesn't like this part, and she skedaddles.)
The stew is bubbly hot, and smells so good! Remove the herb bundle with tongs, as it's done it's job.
Add the mushrooms, and onions.
For the pressure cooker, seal the lid again and pressure cook (on high) for 5 minutes more. Release the steam, and the stew is ready. For a Dutch oven or slow cooker, allow to cook for about 15 minutes more.
Toss in some chopped fresh parsley and serve. NOTE: if you prefer a thicker stew, I made a slurry of cornstarch and water and carefully whisk it in; simmer until thickened. However, I didn't need to do that, this time.
Traditionally, this stew is served with steamed potatoes. I was craving egg noodles. Um, I didn't have any... so I made my own. (Yes, I can be an over-achiever at times.) I didn't document how I made the noodles, but I'll do it again and save that for another post.
The meat was buttery tender, the sauce had a rich flavor with notes of red wine. The next day, it tasted even better. I would serve this at a dinner party, and am sure that my guests would love it.
Not the way I imagined Christmas. Geoff even had to leave us sickies at home and go to the airport to pick up his sister by himself. 
It also involves assembling grocery lists, shopping, shopping some more, and then shopping some more. I know my grocery store produce guys, my butchers and my check-out gals, and I figure they're wondering why I'm there all the time. 
They even get leftovers that can be made into yummy sandwiches.
So all is certainly not lost, not even close. I am loving every second of sweating in the kitchen and plopping my butt in front of the computer to conceive something new and exciting. In fact, I haven't felt this happy in a long time, and in the end that's what it's all about. I'm doing what I love, living the dream. I won't be getting rich and I'm okay with that. This is not why I'm here, and I figure thousands of hard working chefs, food writers, bloggers and various creatives know exactly what I'm talking about.