Oysters Rockefeller Day is a dish so rich there was only one man’s name this dish could bear at the time. At least, that’s the story according to the chef who so masterfully created famous recipes in the French Quarter.
In 1889 in the renowned kitchen of Antoine’s, Jules Alciatore developed the recipe consisting of oysters on the half-shell that have been topped with a rich sauce of butter, parsley and other green herbs, and bread crumbs, then baked or broiled. Lemon wedges are the typical garnish. A dish so rich Alciatore himself admitted, “…I know of no other name rich enough for their richness.”
While other restaurants serve similar dishes, only historic Antoine’s (founded by Antoine Alciatore, Jules Alciatore’s father in 1840) serves the original Oysters Rockefeller. Food Network’s Alton Brown even told on Good Eats that Alciatore took the recipe to his grave. Others have tried to determine the finer ingredients without success. Only Antoine’s and the Alciatore family have the authentic recipe.
Having served over 3.5 million orders of Oysters Rockefeller, and counting, Antoine’s recipe has withstood the test of time and garnered the praises of culinary critics. Since 1889, the restaurant has numbered each order. Even today’s customers receive their privileged number identifying their place in the history of Oysters Rockefeller.
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