Oysters Rockefeller – Cleaning, Shucking and the Recipe

The Best Oysters are Rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller are a great way to kick off any celebration. New Orleans Mardi Gras is certainly no exception. And as you may or may not know, the original recipe was developed in the French Quarter at local restaurant called Antoine’s back in the 1800’s. This recipe has since gone platinum. And you as you can see in the picture below, they are fairly inexpensive to buy and with this recipe, they certainly live up to their name, “Rockefeller”. I think I paid about 58 cents a piece is all and the results were spectacularly “Rich”.

What kind of Oysters do you have?

These are West Coast Oysters. You can tell they aren’t from the East Coast because of the Greenish color, instead of brown, and they’re a bit more long gated as well. They should always be scrubbed and rinsed before shucking. This will help eliminate any grime getting into the shell. Personally, I like to rinse them out after anyway. But some folks will freak out if you drain the “liquor” from the oyster before serving because there’s so much flavor there. But for Oysters Rockefeller, there is so much flavor added to it through out the recipe, in my opinion, it really doesn’t matter. The important thing is that no one breaks a tooth trying to eat them.

Shucking Oysters

I’ll show you, in the video below, how to properly shuck these things and lay them out on the half shell. There’s really nothing to it once you learn the tricks. But it’s important to lay them down on something that will keep them stable so they don’t teeter back and forth. Some people, restaurants included, press the round shell backs down into Rock salt, and that’s great for serving but I just use cup cake pans to keep them from moving and it works great for broiling.

Oysters Rockefeller

To make this recipe, you need a few key ingredients but the main thing is to make it green like money. As the story goes, when this recipe was created, someone in the restaurant exclaimed that these Oysters were as rich as Rockefeller. Others think it has to do with the color of money itself. Either way, the name stuck and now the world can enjoy them for any occasion.

If you’re interested in other Cajun recipes and food celebrated in New Orleans and at Mardi Gras, check out my Boudin, Crawfish Etouffee and my Jambalaya!

Oysters Rockefeller Ingredients:

1 doz Med/Lrg Oysters
2 cloves Garlic, ground
1 Green Onion, ground
1 sprig of Fresh Parsly
4 oz Baby Green Spinach
2 tbsp White wine, can sub ice water or white grape juice
1 stick of melted butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp Crab Boil or Crawfish Seasoning (Old Bay is fine)
1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp Basalmic Vinager
1/3 cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs, optional

Be sure to watch the full Oysters Rockefeller Video Tutorial so you can see, step by step, exactly how to make them from scratch.

How to make Boudin – Cajun stuffed Blood Sausage

The Best Boudin

If you love Cajun recipes then you’re going to love Boudin. And this recipe is by far the best I’ve ever had and I’m not just saying that, either. I’m telling you that this is hands down 1st place, blue ribbon material right here. This recipe could easily compete with Dj’s, Zummo’s or your grandma and grandpa’s recipe, it’s that good!

Boudin Dressing

Once you’ve cooked the bulk of this recipe it can be served as is, turned into sausage links or rolled into Boudin Balls and deep fried. The majority of the ingredients is virtually the same for all 3 recipes, only one is served as a dressing, one get’s stuffed like sausage and the other gets dipped in an egg wash and breaded before they’re fried. They are all delicious and fun to make but today we’re going to focus on stuffing hog casings to create Links that can be smoked, grilled, baked or pan fried.

Stuffing Boudin into Casings

In order to stuff the casings, however, you’re going to need a mixer with a meat grinder and horn attachments to form the links. Another thing you’re going to need, obviously, is the casings themselves. You can purchase Hog, Lamb or edible artificial casings from your local butcher or order them online. I was fortunate enough to find Hog Casings, here locally, at my Harmon’s Grocery store. They matched the bone marrow price in the meat department, which ran about $1.29 per pound, and 1 lbs. of these Hog casings goes a long way. Plus they store in your refrigerator for up to six months if you keep them soaking in salt water.

Remember that Mardi Gras is in full swing, starting today(Fat Tuesday), so be sure to check out Crawfish Etouffee and my Homemade Jambalaya recipes.

Boudin Ingredients:

4 cups white rice, cooked
1 lbs Ground Andouille Sausage
1/2 lbs Chicken liver
1 Celery stalk, chopped
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Jalapenos, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Scallions

2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Clam Juice
2 tbs Butter
1 tbs kosher salt
2 tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs Worcestershire
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup Red Wine

Use Hog, Lamb or Artificial Casings for Stuffing the Boudin.

Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb

The Best Rack of Lamb

This Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb is really amazing. The “ooh and ah” effect is perfect and the taste of each bite is incredible. In my opinion, this recipe should go down in history as a holiday favorite for everyone, because it’s simply that good. I’ve had Lamb in Indian Restaurants, Steak Houses and homemade Mutton Stew, when I lived on the Reservation. But I can tell you, with this recipe, that it is hands down the best and you really couldn’t ask for a better tasting Rack of Lamb.

How I make this Rack of Lamb

I’ve designed this recipe with the best of two worlds, combining both the Garlic and Rosemary recipe with a Honey Dijon Mustard Glaze with a hint of Horseradish. This way you’ve through and through flavor that penetrates the lamb after the sear as it roasts in the oven. Believe it or not, total prep and cook time only takes 15 to 20 minutes and this dish can be served for Christmas, Easter or any run of the week dinner. Just be sure, if it’s date night, that you make him or her think you slaved for hours on this dish so that you’re truly appreciated.

Be sure to check out my other Lamb recipes; Lamb Chops & my Mint Panko Rack of Lamb. Both recipes are, as always, incredible.

Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb Ingredients:

1 Rack of Lamb, 2 to 3 lbs
Kosher Salt and Pepper on all sides of the lamb
2 tbsp of Butter, for searing

Marinade Mix
1 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Horseradish

Topping
4 Garlic Cloves, sliced
2 stems of fresh Rosemary leaves

Sear with butter over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes on each side of the rack of lamb. Add and brush the Honey Dijon Mustard marinade mix on the top of the lamb meat, then add the Garlic and Rosemary leaves. Bake at 450 degrees f. for 10 minutes and serve this Garlic Crusted Rack of Lamb with your favorite sides.