He never even ate the oysters
Today we celebrate an American invention from the Kitchens of New Orleans. It’s National Oysters Rockefeller day. This dish was named after billionaire oil baron John D Rockefeller because the sauce is extremely rich. But, He never even ate the oysters. According to Wikipedia: Oysters Rockefeller was created in 1889 at the New Orleans restaurant Antoine’s by Jules Alciatore, son of founder Antoine Alciatore. Other sources confirm this account. But, the original recipe went to the grave with its creator. It’s a rich green cream sauce baked into oysters on the half-shell. Most recipes use spinach. But, supposedly the original didn’t have spinach in it. Of course, over the years there have been multiple variations. And, it didn’t stay in New Orleans. My first cooking job was at a classic New England Country Club where it was one of our top sellers.
Naming a dish after a popular rich guy seems pretty arrogant in today’s environment. And, it would surely meet with all kinds of legal challenges these days. Can you imagine someone making Mackerel Musk or Beef Bezos? But, naming dishes after celebrities was a common practice in those days. Although, most dishes named after people usually involved having known the person. Take Peach Melba for example. Escoffier had a personal connection to her. But, there is no evidence connecting Rockefeller to Antoines in any way. They just liked the name. And, it worked.
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He never even ate the oysters, but they became a hit anyway.
When we think of JD Rockefeller, we think New York: Rockefeller center, etc. The latter years of his life did focus around New York. But, he built his oil empire out of Cleveland Ohio. New Orleans wasn’t one of his regular stomping grounds. And, he didn’t even eat much seafood if any at all. In fact, his diet was 75% vegetables. Before buying up all the oil fields he could, his family ran vegetable farms. So, the fact that someone put his name on a dish he never even ate is a bit presumptuous, opportunistic, and a bit preposterous. Yet, it worked. The selling power of rich people is not to be underestimated.
This is a reminder of the situation we face today. People claim that celebrities have little to no influence on them. But, that is a misunderstanding of what celebrity means. We think of celebrities as actors, musicians, and other performing artists. But, wealth has always been, and continues to be the single greatest key to celebrity. And, recent years prove this over and over again. The kardashians are undeniably popular, not because they bring anything worthwhile to the table, but because they are rich. And, the last election proved that the money and profile of the richest man in the world supporting another rich guy to help fill the pockets of even more rich guys outweighs the influence of the biggest entertainment names in the world.
JD Rockefeller was the richest man in the world a little over a century ago. And, his name still resonates. He, too, was a greedy bastard who faced numerous legal challenges for anti-trust violations.
Yet, the name stuck
So, a chef slapped a name on a dish just to draw attention to it, and it worked. Even though He never even ate the oysters, he let the name stay. I suppose it’s just part of his own vanity. Why not let your name flow in perpetuity? Of course, in modern days, someone with Rockefeller’s stature would sue for copyright infringement and demand royalties despite the obscene riches already at their disposal. But, at the time, Rockefeller and his fellow robber barons actually had a charitable side to them.
Rockefeller, while using questionable methods to amass his wealth, and being unfair to workers did provide affordable oil to the masses, and he donated over a half billion dollars to charities. His compatriot Andrew Carnegie also gained a reputation as one of the most charitable philanthropists of the time. Henry Ford actually looked out for his workers, implementing the 5 day work week with 8 hour shifts. Even JP Morgan gave back to society, despite being a nasty monopolist. Unfortunately, he only did his charity when it was necessary to protect his bottom line.
History Rhymes
Mark Twin, famously said “History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”. And, we see that today. Rockefeller and his fellow tycoons were filthy rich through exploitation of workers and unscrupulous business practices. But, they did provide services and products that expanded the country and the world for the betterment of all. They brought us affordable fuel, railroads that connected the country, a plethora of useful inventions like the typewriter, adding machines, electric light, and automobiles that opened the whole country to the masses. And, thanks to these men, we now have anti-trust laws, financial regulations, and worker protections.
But, the modern billionaires are trying to bring back the unscrupulous practices of this era. Arguably, the expansion of the internet is a connection to the world tantamount to what the men of the gilded age brought through advancement of technology. But, the car, trains, mass produced steel, and the light bulb were actual inventions. What we have today are just improvements on pre-existing inventions. Yet, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates are similar, but not the same as their gilded age counterparts. Each have a charitable and/or benefit to society aspect. But, they also have a responsibility that comes with that great wealth that is not necessarily being adhered to. Bill gates and Warren Buffet get the importance of charity. But, the others are more about the numbers.
We see a similarity, but different circumstances, hence history rhymes, not repeats.
But, the point is that He never even ate the oysters
Enough of the history lesson. It just goes to show that it’s always something. It’s like a plate of shrimp, all part of the cosmic reality. Or, more like a plate of oysters in a rich herb and spinach cream sauce. What name you put on it is irrelevant. But, if it gets you thinking about greater things, that’s not a bad thing. Actually, naming Oysters Rockefeller after Rockefeller himself is apropos, as he and his cohort were simply opportunists. And, if the fruits of their labor are a benefit to society, that’s a bonus. So, it doesn’t matter that He never even ate the oysters. The name is enough to get it out to the masses, and get people who wouldn’t otherwise eat oysters to eat them. An entrepreneur saw an opportunity and seized it.
So, it’s now our turn to enjoy this dish that by any other name is still a good dish. And, don’t forget, the original recipe doesn’t even exist anymore. So, what we know as Oysters Rockefeller is actually more of a Northern East coast interpretation of the dish. Allegedly, there was no spinach in the original. But, I have always made it with spinach and will continue to do so. The brininess of the oyster with the earthiness of spinach work well together. And, whether you use bread crumbs or not is a personal choice. They give a bit of crunch to an otherwise soft dish.
So, let’s get to it. It’s time to make and eat a delicacy fit for the richest man in the world, even if he has no desire to eat it. I suppose that’s his loss. Not that it matters, since he’s no longer with us. And, screw the self centered replacements.
Here’s your recipe, even if He never even ate the oysters
While the original claims to not have spinach, we’re putting it in ours, so we’ll call it a New England Oysters Rockefeller. I have seen people use white wine. But, to me, Pernod is necessary. The Anise flavor really compliments the oysters well. If you don’t have Pernod, any anise flavored liqueur substitution is okay. Maybe Sambucca or Anisette. Bread crumbs are definitely optional. I ,personally, don’t think they are necessary. But, they do add some crunch. In our recipe, we add a little Parmesan cheese for a little punch, and it helps create a crust.
The most time consuming part is opening the oysters. To do this, we can’t stress safety enough. If you don’t have a proper oyster knife, we suggest getting one. You can use a paring knife or even a screwdriver if you’re very careful. But, believe me, it’s worth using the right tool for the job. Also, make sure you have a shucking glove or use a kitchen towel or something to hold the oyster, so you don’t stab your hand. The trick is to find the small opening at the pointed end of the oyster. Stick the point of the shucking knife into the recess, and pry up the top of the shell. Slide the knife inside to sever the top muscle. Then, when the top is off, sever the lower muscle to release the meat and let it float free.
Make the sauce separately by reducing the liquid with the other ingredients. I find it best to saute and drain the spinach separately, then fold it in. Use baby spinach or chop full size spinach leaves. Cook until bubbly and golden brown. Avoid overcooking as the oysters become tough.
Cheers!
New England Oysters Rockefeller
Ingredients
- 12 each Medium sized fresh live oysters in the shell
- 2 Tbsp Fine diced Shallot
- 1/4 cup Pernod
- 1 1/2 Cups heavy Cream
- 1 oz Fresh Raw Spinach
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh tarragon
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
- 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
- bread crumbs (optional)
- olive oil for cooking
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Shuck the oysters using a proper shucking knife. There is an art to doing this. You want to pry up the shell with the shucker, then sever the muscle attaching the meat to the shell on both sides of the shell, so that it is no longer attached. Place the oyster back in the bottom shell as it has a pocket to hold the oyster and sauce. The top shell tends to be too flat. If the shell breaks, make due with the most solid part of the shell, or you can transfer the oysters to a pan or oven proof ceramic bowl or vehicle that can maintain the oysters shape and integrity. An oven proof egg dish would work. Place the oysters on a flat baking pan.
- Heat a coating of olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Saute the shallots until translucent.
- Add in the Pernod and reduce until half the liquid is gone. You can flame to burn off the alcohol if desired. But, it will cook down on its own.
- Add the heavy cream and reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a separate pan, saute the spinach in olive oil until well wilted. Drain liquid from spinach through a strainer.
- Fold the Spinach and herbs into the cream sauce with half the cheese. Spoon the sauce with the spinach into each oyster evenly. Sprinkle with more cheese and bread crumbs if desired.
- Place the oysters into an oven and bake until the tops become golden brown, about 10 minutes. The sauce will bubble a bit, cooking the oysters. try not to overcook or the oysters will become tough. I like them just a touch under-cooked, so they're still a bit soft. Serve while still hot.