Oysters Rockefeller

Fresh oysters are essential - buy from a reputable fishmonger. The rock salt bed keeps oysters level so juices don't spill. Pernod adds authentic anise flavor but can be omitted. Don't overbake or oysters will become rubbery. The oysters should still be plump and juicy.

Oysters Rockefeller is one of the most precisely documented culinary inventions in American restaurant history, created in 1899 at Antoine's restaurant in New Orleans by Jules Alciatore, son of the restaurant's founder Antoine Alciatore, who had opened Antoine's in 1840 — making it the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States. Multiple sources including Food Republic and Antoine's own records confirm that Jules created the dish when a shortage of French escargots forced him to substitute the locally abundant Gulf oysters; he adapted his existing Bourguignonne butter sauce by adding pureed green vegetables, then baked the oysters in their shells. The dish was named for John D. Rockefeller, then the wealthiest American, because the sauce was described as extraordinarily rich. The original recipe remains a closely guarded family secret that has never been published; the restaurant's fifth-generation proprietor has confirmed the sauce never contained spinach, though spinach has become standard in the countless imitations served at restaurants worldwide. An estimated five million orders have been served at Antoine's alone. The dish has been served from New Orleans' distinctive French Quarter location without interruption since its creation, making it one of the longest continuously served restaurant dishes in America.