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Oysters Rockefeller - History, Recipes, Trivia
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Oysters Rockefeller - History of the Dish


One of the favorite classic American dishes, the origins Oysters Rockefeller are well documented; the recipe, not so much. The dish was created by Jules Alciatore at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans in 1899. According to the story, oysters were used as the main ingredient because they were locally abundant, unlike snails. Because of its rich, buttery green sauce, it was named after John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in the country. The original recipe is still a closely guarded family secret, though they do say that spinach, an ingredient often found in various knock-off versions, is not used. At any rate, there is certainly some green vegetable, as well as a liqueur, which was probably absinthe back in the day, while Pernod is used now.

Soon, a variant arose on the West Coast: Oysters Kirkpatrick. Though the Wikipedia article states this dish is a "classic English recipe", most sources point to the Palace Hotel in San Francisco as the point of origin, with a date of circa 1910. The defining ingredients are bacon, cheese, and ketchup, or some other red sauce.

With cooked shellfish recipes being apparently all the rage, 1917 saw the creation of Clams Casino in Rhode Island. Recipes for this dish, popular in Italian restaurants in the Northeast, call for butter, chopped vegetables, and bacon.



retro Restaurant Menu featuring Oysters Rockefeller
Vintage restaurant advertisement from 1925 for a French eatery in New Orleans, Louisiana offering specialties Oysters Rockefeller, Pompano Papillotte, Bouillabaise, and Escargots.

Oysters Rockefeller page

Recipes for Oysters Rockefeller - Starter Appetizer Dish


  • YummyEats may be a century late coming to the party, but here is our take on Oysters Kirkpatrick.

    YummyEats Oysters Kirkpatrick

    Printable version of recipe

    Here is YummyEats own version of the classic San Francisco dish.
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    1 dozen oysters, shucked and placed in shell half
    1 cup ketchup
    1/3 cup Chinese mustard
    1/2 small onion, finely minced
    2 strips bacon, cut into squares - one square to top each oyster - and partially cooked
    1/4 c. grated parmesan
    Hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco®


    Preheat oven to 400°. Combine ketchup and mustard. Dip the oysters in the mixture and replace then in the shell halves. Top with minced onion, partially cooked bacon, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 5-7 minutes. Add a dash of hot sauce when serving, if desired.

  • Oysters Rockefeller

    Printable version of recipe

    James Beard, in James Beard's American Cookery, claims this version to be from "a good source".
    - - - - -

    2 dozen oysters on the half shell
    1/4 cup chopped shallots, or green onions
    1/4 cup chopped celery
    1 tsp chopped chervil
    1/3 cup chopped fennel
    1/3 cup chopped parsley
    1/2 pound butter
    2 cups watercress
    1/3 cup breadcrumbs
    1/3 cup Pernod
    Salt, pepper, cayenne


    Saute the green onions, celery, and herbs in 3 tablespoons of the butter for 3 minutes. Add the watercress and let it wilt. Scrape out into a blender, add the Pernod, and blend 1 minute. Blend with the crumbs and remaining butter. Season well. Spoon about 1 good teaspoonful of the mixture onto each oyster. Bake at 450° about 4 minutes, or just long enough for the oyster and sauce to heat through.

    Oysters Rockefeller Dish

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