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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Despite the fancy title and implication of wealth, Oysters Rockefeller don’t have to be expensive or difficult to make! Try this recipe out for your next holiday party and you’ll see what I mean.
For more great seafood holiday recipes, try my shrimp cocktail with homemade cocktail sauce, or a Shrimp Salad. Add Broiled Scallops or some Delicious and Easy Canapés to fill out the finger food assortment.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: Moderate. This recipe has a few more steps and details than most of mine, but it’ll all be worth it in the end.
- Time Required: Despite the many ingredients and several steps, this recipe can be completed in about 45 minutes.
- Variations: This classic dish doesn’t lend itself to many variations, but you could play with the amount of seasoning by adding extra garlic or increasing the heat with more pepper flakes. If you like a big kick of spice, keep a bottle of hot sauce handy so people can add a drop to their own oysters.
- Tools Needed: This recipe doesn’t require many tools, but you may want an oyster knife on standby for any unopened oysters you encounter. You’ll also need a large sheet pan and a large saute pan.
What You’ll Need For Ingredients
Oysters: Fresh, clean, and open. Frozen oysters from the grocery store won’t work for this recipe.
Bread Crumbs: Panko crumbs will give you the most crunch, but you can certainly try other types.
Spinach: Fresh spinach will work best for this recipe, since you want to keep the vibrant green.
Shallot: A classic addition to French recipes, this small type of onion will add rich flavor to the dish.
Pernod: Pernod is a French liquor flavored with star anise, fennel, and over a dozen other aromatic herbs. You can use white wine instead if you prefer.
Rock Salt or Kosher Salt: This large grain salt is for lining your cookie sheet rather than mixing into the food.
How To Make Oysters Rockefeller
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cover the bottom of the baking sheet with coarse salt. Rinse and open the oysters. Place them gently on the layer of salt and refrigerate for now.
- Melt butter (1/4 cup) in large saute pan. Add shallots and cook at medium heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic (1 clove, minced) and cook until fragrant.
- Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add Pernod or white wine. Add seasonings. Remove from heat, our into a bowl, and put in fridge to cool.
- Melt butter (2 tablespoons) in the pan. Add garlic (1 clove, minced) and saute until fragrant. Mix in breadcrumbs and parsley. Stir until parsley is wilted.
- Remove from heat. Add parmesan, salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Top each of the refrigerated oysters with one tablespoon of spinach mixture, followed by a portion of of the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve with lemon slices.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for Making Oysters Rockefeller
- Fresh Oysters: When you purchase your oysters, make sure they’re fresh and from a reputable location.
- Don’t Overcook the Oysters: Make sure not to cook your oysters any longer than necessary, or they’ll be chewy and rubbery. Cook them just long enough to be plump and bubbly and hot.
- Lemony Goodness: If you haven’t got lemons around, lemon juice will do. You’ll definitely want that little kick of acidity and tartness to balance out the richness of this treat. Try horseradish for some kick if you happen to be allergic to lemons.
Storage Instructions
Seafood doesn’t tend to store well, so eat these fresh.
More Delicious Seafood Recipes
Looking for more ways to enjoy Seafood? Try these out:
Check out this hearty, flavourful New England Clam Chowder if you’re wanting a full meal, or whip up these Bacon Wrapped Scallops as a side dish.
Try some Coconut Shrimp or Chili Coconut Scallops with some Air Fryer French Fries.
There you go, folks. A surprisingly easy recipe to make for your next big party! Try it out for New Year’s or a fancy birthday appetizer. Let me know how you like these oysters.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Oystesr Rockefeller
Ingredients
- 18 large oysters on the half shell
- 1-2 cups coarse rock or kosher salt
Spinach Topping
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups spinach leaves, stems cut off then chopped
- 1 tablespoon Pernod liquer or white wine
Bread Crumb Topping
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup fresh parsley minced
- ¼ cup Parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Get out a baking sheet large enough to hold the 18 oysters on. Sprinkle enough of the rock or kosher salt to cover the sheet.
- Prepare the oysters. Rinse them off, then if they aren’t opened already, carefully open the oysters. (See the link in the post above on how to open oysters.)
- Place the open oysters on a sheet pan, nestling them into the salt to hold them upright and then refrigerate until needed.
- Melt the butter in a large saute pan.
- Add the shallots to the melted butter and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes, ensuring they don’t burn.
- Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Add the spinach and saute until the spinach is wilted.
- Add in the Pernod or the white wine and saute another minute. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Remove from the heat and place the finished mixture into a bowl and into the refrigerator to cool quickly.
- Melt the butter in the pan. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Add in the breadcrumbs and stir to mix in with the butter and garlic.
- Add in the parsley and let wilt slightly.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, then salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Remove the oysters from the fridge.
- Place one tablespoon of the spinach mixture on top of each oyster.
- Top each finished oyster with the panko bread crumbs mixture, dividing between them evenly.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the oysters are plumped and cooked.
- Serve the oysters with lemon slices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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