Oyster Rockefeller Recipe

Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Arrange a baking sheet large enough for 12 oysters; line with rock salt or crumpled foil to steady shells.

Shuck oysters: hold the oyster flat-side up, insert shucking knife along hinge, twist to pop. Run knife under oyster to free from shell but leave it sitting in the deep (bottom) shell. Place each oyster on the prepared sheet and keep chilled until ready to top.

Wilt and reduce spinach

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Add minced shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent but not browned. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the packed baby spinach in batches, stirring until wilted and reduced (about 3–5 minutes total).

Drain excess liquid

Once wilted, transfer spinach to a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth and press/ squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Return drained spinach to the skillet.

Make cream base

With spinach in the skillet over low heat, pour in 1 cup heavy cream. Stir to combine and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 tbsp grated Parmesan, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Adjust seasoning to taste. Cook 1 more minute, then remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Finely chop the creamed spinach mixture so it will spoon neatly over oysters. Keep warm but not hot (too hot will cook the oysters when assembled).

Make a quick warm emulsified hollandaise

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (bain-marie) making sure the bowl bottom does not touch the water. Whisk together 2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp hot water until slightly thickened and pale (about 1–2 minutes). Slowly drizzle in the 4 tbsp hot melted butter in a steady stream while whisking continuously to emulsify. If sauce becomes too thick, add a few drops of hot water. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp cayenne. Keep warm.

Alternatively, for safety, you may make a quick hollandaise by combining the yolks and lemon in a blender and slowly pouring hot melted butter while blender runs; finish with salt and cayenne and keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs with 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley and 1/2 tsp lemon zest. Toss until evenly coated.

Toast the breadcrumb mixture in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 450°F (if not already). Spoon approximately 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of the creamed spinach onto each oyster, spreading gently to cover the meat but leaving some oyster visible.

Drizzle about 1 tsp of the warm hollandaise over the spinach on each oyster (you want a light coating, not a heavy pool).

Sprinkle a heaping 1 tsp of the toasted panko breadcrumb mixture over each oyster to create a golden topping.

Bake on the center oven rack for 6–8 minutes until the edges of the topping are golden and the oysters are just cooked through (do not overbake). For a more browned top, finish with a 30–60 second blast under the broiler—watch closely to avoid burning.

Remove from oven and let rest 1 minute. Serve oysters hot on the half shell over a bed of rock salt or lemon halves, with lemon wedges on the side.