Oysters Rockefeller

Yes I survived the San Diego earthquake this morning.  Apparently San Diego has earthquakes?  I guess I didn’t really appreciate that until now.  The faultline is about 85 miles east of San Diego in the Anza-Borrego desert.

Anyway, not to be too anticlimactic, but I definitely slept through the whole thing.  Our admin assistant apparently was awake and said she could feel it and it felt like her room was swaying.  So far I haven’t heard of any damages to any buildings in San Diego or anything.  My apartment is as intact as I left it last night (whether or not that’s a good thing, I am still uncertain..).

So in the wake of a natural disaster I think the most important thing is to think about the short-term only.  (Right??) If I died tomorrow what would I want to doing?  (Of course, the answer is eating my favorite foods).  And for now my favorite food is Oysters Rockefeller.

This recipe is just spectacular.

Never had Oysters Rockefeller before?  They were an addictive oyster recipe from Antoines restaurant in New Orleans that were supposedly “rich enough for Rockefeller.”  Although the original recipe was never divulged, Oysters Rockefeller has been re-interpreted often as a recipe involving some combination of spinach, butter, hot sauce, and a hit of Pernod.  The flavor is rich, decadent, and perfect as an oyster accompaniment.  (Its the one time you will catch me combining cheese and seafood and loving it).

I tried out a few different recipes before committing to my favorite Oysters Rockefeller interpretation.  Finding the balance with the Pernod can be a challenge; I enjoy the bitter anise flavor, but I don’t want that to be the only flavor I’m tasting.  One recipe I served to my friends and everyone was like “yeah… that’s interesting…” and pretty much all you could taste is the overpowering flavor of anise.

Not good.  That one will get filed into The Gourmet Gourmand failures folder.In my final recipe I settled on a roughly chopped spinach instead of spinach puree.  I sauteed it with butter, garlic, shallots, and cream.  And of course some Pernod.  And topped the whole thing with cheese.

I broiled mine for just a few minutes on low.  Broiler tips- I’ve found, through my adventures with various apartment rental kitchens, that gas ovens tend to burn your broiled items a lot faster than electric ovens.  I have a gas oven, hence the broiling on low.  If you have an electric oven you might want to up the heat to high.  You know your broiler best.  Do what you think will work best to get a nice golden crust on the cheesey topping.Hope you have a wonderful weekend everyone.  I’m crossing my fingers for sunny weather and staying earthquake free!

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Oysters Rockefeller

Adapted from How 2 Heroes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 1 dozen oysters

Ingredients

  

• 12 fresh oysters shucked
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1 small shallot minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons Pernod
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 cups spinach rough chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated

Instructions

 

• Arrange shucked oysters on a baking tray while you prepare the topping.
• In a medium skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute until translucent.
• Turn off the flame and add the Pernod. Turn the heat back on and simmer until most of the alcohol is evaporated. (If you're feeling bold you can flambe it, but stay safe!)
• Next add the heavy cream. Simmer until it is reduced to about 1/2 cup and is thickened.
• Toss in the spinach and cook until wilted.
• Add about 1/3 cup of the grated cheese.
• Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture over each oyster.
• Top with the remaining cheese.
• Turn your broiler to low heat. Broil for about 3 minutes until cheese is browned and the oysters are cooked through.

Notes

If you are shucking your own oysters, this knife and these gloves will be helpful to you!

Did you make this recipe? Head on over to Instagram and tag me @thegourmetgourmand or share on the hashtag #thegourmetgourmand. Happy cooking!