Oysters Part 2 – Campbell Mickel’s Rockefeller

In last month's article, Oysters At Home Part 1, we highlighted a problem if you aren't prepping them yourself -  your fishmonger will open them for you, but you'll probably lose the "juice" What to do? Simple idea - cook them. Do that and the juice is no longer essential. This is one of the grandest cooked oyster dishes. Created at Antoine's in New Orleans, it prompted one customer to say that the dish was as rich as Rockefeller.

But where to find the best recipe? Jane Grigson's Fish Cookery seemed a reasonable place to start. But how the times have changed. Jane tells us that four dozen oysters will serve 4 people. Needless to say, ingredients have been hotly debated over the years. As she so often does, Felicity Cloake provided an excellent article on the subject, along with her own version of the perfect recipe. You can find that here.

But I thought, who better to advise us than the man to whom I would send you to buy your bivalves in the first place? Campbell Mickel, chef extraordinaire, and owner of Eddie's Seafood Market? (If you haven't tried his seafood platters, you haven't lived.) He tells us that his version is close to the original Antoine's, but with a few kinks.

Thanks, Campbell, for the recipe. Note that the photos are stock images and not of Campbell's creations.

Campbell Mickel's Oysters Rockefeller 

Ingredients

12 fresh oysters on the half shell; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 2 tbsp chopped spring onions (green parts only); 2 tbsp Pernod or vermouth; ¼ cup breadcrumbs (preferably Panko but fresh work well); 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional — some omit for a more authentic style but I love the added smoked crunch from crispy cheese); a few dashes of hot sauce (optional); freshly ground black pepper, to taste; rock salt or flour and water dough formed into little doughnut rings (to stabilize oysters on the baking tray); lemon wedges to serve.

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Preheat oven to 230 °C. Prepare the tray - bind flour and water until a play doh style mixture is achieved. Make a dozen small rings about 1½" diameter. Alternatively spread rock salt on a baking sheet to hold oysters steady.

Make the topping. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté gently until translucent. Stir in the spinach, parsley, and green onions and cook for 1–2 minutes until just wilted. Add the Pernod or vermouth, and hot sauce if using, and cook briefly to reduce. Evaporate any spinach water over a high heat.

Season with salt (sparingly as the oysters will supply plenty of salty brine as they cook) and pepper.

Assemble the oysters on the baking tray. Spoon the spinach-herb mixture over each one and top lightly with breadcrumbs and parmesan.

Place in the oven and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the topping is bubbling and just beginning to brown. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Top Chef's Tip

Why not try with a Manzanilla Sherry? A bold but amazing pairing, nutty and saline. Really enhances the salty ocean taste of the oyster.

Sad News

We have just learned of the death of Christopher Trotter on Sunday 28 September, almost exactly a year after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. A superb chef and food writer, Christopher was a dear friend. Thanks to his generosity, many of his recipes and extracts from his books appeared regularly in this column. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Caroline and the rest of Christopher's family.

At Christopher's request, there will be no funeral, His body has been donated to medical science at the University of St Andrews.