Oysters Rockefeller Showdown: Antoine's Secret Recipe Revealed

Oysters Rockefeller Cookoff
Baked Oysters Brownefeller (Top Row)
Hog Island Oyster Rockefeller (Middle Row)
Malcolm Hebert's Closest to the Original Antoine's Oysters Rockefeller (Bottom Row)

Oysters Rockefeller was invented in 1899 by Jules Alciatore, the son of the founder of New Orleans exclusive Antoine's Restaurant. According to legend, the name comes from the bright green color of the sauce - the color of money, fit for a Rockefeller. Since then, it's been imitated in thousands of restaurants, but the original recipe remains a closely held secret. In a world where virtually nothing is sacred, I personally think the mystery is a nice change of pace. Even so, I've done some digging and here's what we do know:

In 1948, Roy Alciatore revealed 10 recipes from Antoine's for a weekly newsmagazine. In it, he included a diversion recipe for Oysters Rockefeller that included butter, spinach, onion, parsley, bread crumbs, Tabasco, Herbsaint and salt. That recipe is still believed by many to be the secret Antoine's recipe. But like a true mystery, the same publication included a note from the editor: "This much is told: the sauce is made with 18 ingredients ... pounded together in a mortar for blending.  Then the mixture is forced through a sieve and one tablespoonful placed on each pair of oysters."


In 1980, Roy F. Guste, Jr., the great-great grandson of Jules Antoine, writes in his book Antoine's Restaurant Cookbook that "the sauce is basically a puree of a number of green vegetables other than spinach."

In 1986, investigative writer and author of Bigger Secrets, William Poundstone, scored a table at Antoine's. While the waiter wasn't looking, he swiped some of the sauce from the Oysters Rockefeller and had the ingredients evaluated by Associated Analytical Laboratories. Coupled with additional detective work, Poundstone thinks he found the eighteen ingredients (if you count the rock salt that keep the shells in place on the plate): "oysters, rock salt, olive oil, parsley, capers, green onions, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, celery, salt, white pepper, Tabasco sauce, and Herbsaint." 

Malcolm Hebert, a cookbook author and former food editor for San Jose Mercury News, developed a recipe with the following ingredients: fresh oysters, parsley, green onions, celery leaves, tarragon leaves, chervil leaves, bread crumbs, butter, salt and pepper, Tabasco sauce, Herbsaint and rock salt.  That's 13 ingredients.  Five short of the rumored 18.

So here's what we know about the original recipe:

• It used fresh Gulf oysters.
• It did not contain spinach.  The green sauce most likely comes from green onions.
• It most likely contained absinthe, which was banned in the 1950s because it contained woodworms.  Herbsaint, which is legal, has a similar taste and is purportedly used at Antoine's. Pernod is another good substitute.
• It was not topped with breadcrumbs.
• It was served on a bed of rock salt.

Where do we go from here? That's up to you. I just thought it was an interesting story and I like the mystery.  The real reason for this post is to find the best Oysters Rockefeller recipe - spinach or no spinach. I've sorted through dozens of recipes and narrowed it down to these six based on the following categories: Best Food TV Star Recipe (Alton Brown), Best Oyster Farm Recipe (Hog Island), and Closest to the Original Recipe (Malcolm Hebert). I've also included the recipe created by Roy Alciatore and my husband's Famous (at least around here) Oysters Rockefeller Recipe. 

• Roy Alciatore's Diversion Oysters Rockefeller
• Malcolm Hebert's "Getting-Close-to-the-Original" Oysters Rockefeller
• Hog Island Oysters Rockefeller
• Alton Brown's Oysters Brownefeller
• Steve's Famous Oysters Rockefeller

The family was in town for Thanksgiving, and I set up an Oysters Rockefeller Cook-Off. Steve shucked three dozen Rappahannock River Oysters. We slurped down six on the half shell then started the taste test. I've included the recipes as the author's wrote them, but we broiled all five varities on a cookie sheet lined with kosher salt. First up, Roy Alciatore's Diversion Oysters Rockefeller. It wasn't a strong start.

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Roy Alciatore's "Diversion" Oysters Rockefeller (as published in Life magazine's cookbook)

Roy Alciatore's "Diversion" Oysters Rockefeller

36 fresh oysters on the half shell
6T butter
6T finely minced raw spinach
3T minced onion
3T minced parsley
5T bread crumbs
Tabasco sauce to taste
1/2 t Herbsaint
1/2 t salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add all the ingredients except the oysters.  Cook, constantly stirring for 15 min.  Press the mixture through a sieve or a good mill. Cool. Line six pie tins with rock salt. Set 6 oysters in the rock salt on each pie tin. Divide the topping into 36 equal portions. Place one portion on each oyster. Broil until topping is brown. Serves 6.

Our comments: 
No one liked this one. There was little taste.  I think Roy was messing with everyone when he originally floated this idea to the magazine. Next ...

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Malcolm Hebert "Getting Close To The Original" Oysters Rockefeller

Malcolm Hebert "Getting Close To The Original" Oysters Rockefeller

Mr. Hebert, a cookbook author and food critic, was first credited with creating this recipe. I've seen it copied on several occasions, including by Southern Living magazine. This recipe is close to what Poundstone conjectured, without capers.

36 fresh oysters
4 springs flat-leaf Italian parsley
4 green onions
Handful of fresh celery leaves
6 fresh tarragon leaves
6 fresh chervil leaves
1/2 c homemade breadcrumbs
12 T unsalted butter
salt and pepper
Tabasco sauce
2T Herbsaint or Pernod
Rock salt

Mince together parsley, green onions, celery leaves, tarragon and chervil as finely as you possibly can. Mix this together with the bread crumbs and the softened butter into a mortar and mix the whole thing together into a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper, Tabasco and Herbsaint or Pernod.

Preheat broiler. Place on middle rack. Spread rock salt over large baking sheet to keep oysters level under broiler. Spoon equal amount of mixture over each oyster. Place baking sheet on the middle rack and broil until edges of oysters have curled and herb butter is bubbling (about 5 min).


Our comments:
"Too salty."

"Too mushy.

"Yucky green color."

That's what my family said. This recipe was hands down my favorite. The tarragon burst in my mouth. The "yucky green color" does look like the color of money.

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Hog Island Oysters Rockefeller

Hog Island Oysters Rockefeller

4T unsalted butter
1/3 c bread crumbs or panko
2 minced shallots
2 c chopped fresh spinach
2T Pernod
1/8 c heavy cream or half-n-half
salt and pepper to taste
dash of red pepper flakes
2 dozen hog Island Pacific Oysters
Rock salt
lemon wedges for garnish

Melt butter in a skillet. Place the Panko or breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl and add ahlf the metled butter, mix and set aside. With the remaining butter in the skillet add shallots and spinach, cook for 3 minutes unil the spinach wilts. Deglaze the pan with Penod and season with salt, pepper and dash or red pepper flake. Add cream and allow mixture to cook down, 2 minutes. (Topping may be amde up to two days ahead and refrigerated).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place oven rak on second to top rung. Line a rimmed baking pan with rock salt adn place in oven to preheat the salt as teh oven comes to rep (10 min).

When all oysters are pre-shucked, remove your baking sheet from teh oven and place on a heatproof surface. Set the shucked oysters in their shells on the rock salt. The salt helps to stabilize the oysters. Working quickly, spoon a heaping reaspoon of the spinach mixture on each oyster followed by a sprinkle of the breadcrumb mixture. When all oysters are topped reutn the pan to the oven.

Bake for 5-7 min, or until sauce begins to bubble. Finish under broilder for 1 min just to brown breadcrumbs. 

Copyright Hog Island Oyster Co., Inc.


Our comments:

This was a crowd favorite. Just the right texture and flavor. 

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Alton Brown's Baked Oysters Brownefeller

Alton Brown's Baked Oysters Brownefeller

This recipe comes from none other than culinary geek Alton Brown. I thought his expertise would be good for the competition.

24 oysters on the half shell
6T unsalted butter
3/4c finely chopped onion
3/4c finely chopped celery
1t kosher salt
1T minced garlic
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1c panko
2t freshely ground black pepper
1t dried oregano
4c rock salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a 12-inch saute pan over med low heat. Increase the heat slightly and add the onion, celery and 1/2t kosher salt. Sweat for 5-7 min. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 min. Reduce het to low and add artichoke hearts, bread crumbs, lemon zest, remaining 1/2t kosher salt, pepper, and oregano. Continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place 4 cups rock salt on a sheet pan with sides and spread evenly. Set oysters atop the salt and divide breadcrumb mixture evenly among them. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 min. Bread crumbs should be lightly browned.

Recipe Copyright 2013 Television Food Network GP

Our comments:

"Loved the breading."

This came in second in the overall voting. The artichokes were a nice salty substitute. 

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Steve's Famous Oysters Rockefeller

Steve's Famous Oysters Rockefeller

My husband, Steve, adapted this recipe a few years ago. Friends (mostly female) ask for it. The key is grilling.

12 fresh oysters on the half shell
3T olive oil
1 bag prewashed baby spinach
2 cloves garlic
1/2c grate Parmesan cheese
3T panko crumbs

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add bag of spinach and saute until wilted. Remove from heat and place spinach directly into a blender. Add garlic and Parmesan cheese. Puree. Set aside spinach mixture to cool.

In the meantime, shuck a dozen oysters. Add a heaping spoonful of the spinach mixture on top of each oyster. Grill until golden brown. 

Our comments:
"Classic spinach."

"Nice kick at the end."

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So the winner is ... 

Hog Island Oysters Rockefeller

Whoo hoo!! Keep an eye out for Hog Island Oyster Co.'s new space in San Francisco's historic Ferry Building Marketplace set to open in Jan. 2014. I bet the Rockefeller is even awesomer on the Farm. 

Quick shout out to Greg, Nicole, Ann, Jim, and Steve for their comments and taste buds.