“It’s the gateway to drugs,” Chef Bruno Fonseca tells me when I ask him about Oysters Rockefeller. This dish is not only well-known (though these days you’re more likely to associate it with the famous New York City skating rink than with the world’s first billionaire, after whom it’s named), but it’s also the perfect introduction to the delights of this beautiful, salty bivalve.
why?
Because it’s already cooked.
This dish is rich, just like its winner, famous 19th century businessman John D. Rockefeller. Layered with butter, cream, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and green spinach, the dish, which some origin stories say represents the man’s vast wealth, was first created in 1899 at Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans, where a shortage of escargot forced chef Jules Alciatore to make a creative move.
Other versions of the story note that spinach was added later, but more importantly, the dish spread throughout the world over the years, eventually earning its own national holiday on January 10th.
Fonseca continues to keep it on the menu, but its popularity has had its strange peaks and troughs.
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“Sometimes we sell six a week, sometimes 10 a day,” he laughs, but overall he says this is a great introduction to oysters.
“It’s a bridge to the possibility of enjoying oysters raw and offers something familiar: the cheese, the garlic cream, the spinach, everything that wraps the oysters before serving. Even the smell and the way it’s bubbling… there’s everything going on that makes people want to dive in.”
Bruno’s Oysters’ Plant Street Market location replaces the typical seasoned breadcrumbs with a whisper of saffron, a splash of Pernod, and a buttery cracker crumble for a unique flavor.
“If I could get my hands on those big, beautiful Belon oysters, I would definitely use them in this dish.”
Bellons are a type of oyster that are large, strong, and copper-colored.
“It’s definitely not for newcomers,” he said, noting that he asks guests about their oyster experience in advance and often slices them for easier eating.
Wine 4 Oysters in Orlando’s Waterford Lakes neighborhood offers more than a dozen varieties of oysters, both raw and cooked. Co-owner Tatiana Golenkova calls Rockefeller’s preparation the “little black dress” of all.
“This is a rich classic and a crowd pleaser,” she says. “Everyone knows and wants it.”
Their version features elevated decadence by adding two more cheeses (mozzarella and provolone) and bacon to the mix.
“Everyone loves bacon,” she says.
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Season and quality determine where the oysters come from, she says.
“For Oysters Rockefeller and other toppings, we try to use mild, medium-sized oysters.”
For now, Texas Gulf oysters fit the bill, but Wine 4 Oysters also sources from other regions, including Maine, Massachusetts and Virginia.
At High Tide Harry’s, bivalves from Galveston Bay, Texas, were decorating the tables at the time of our interview, but they may soon come from Apalachicola Bay.
“The fishery just reopened after being closed for five years,” says managing partner Brennan Heretic. “But we always like to buy as much local as possible.”
High Tide Harry’s has been serving Orlando seafood for nearly 31 years, and while oysters have been available since the beginning, dishes like charbroiled and Rockefeller, as well as other dishes, were later added to the menu after many customer requests and plenty of time spent developing recipes and processes.
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“We want to do everything at a high level, so we’re not rushing to add new menu items,” says Heretic. “But at this point, Oysters Rockefeller has been on the menu for about 16 years.”
High Tide Harry’s buys an astonishing 5,000 oysters a week, and enough customers are demanding that oysters be on the menu full-time, even though raw, steamed, and chargrilled oysters still outnumber Rockefeller oysters.
“It’s a simple preparation with salted butter, fresh spinach from Harvill’s, minced garlic, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese,” he says, noting that over time he’s noticed that guests like the crunch of the spinach, provided courtesy of the kitchen’s charcoal grill. “They want to see that golden color. We get great feedback.”
It also comes with garlic butter for dipping, and as the name suggests, it’s rich.
Regulars at Gorenkova’s Wine 4 Oysters love this dish.
“It’s a great way to introduce this amazing protein,” she says.
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Detailed information
Bruno’s Oysters: (located in the Barrel Room at Plant Street Market) 426 W. Plant St. in Winter Garden, 321-517-6985; brunosoysters.com
High Tide Harris: 4645 Semoran Blvd. Orlando, 407-273-4422; High Tide Harris.com
Wine 4 Oysters Bar & Bites: 1957 S. Alafaya Trail in Orlando, 407-507-7952; wine4oysters.com
