Title: Oysters Rockefeller: Roy F. Guste Jr.
Categories: Seafood Appetizer
Yield: 6 Servings

36		Shelled raw oysters in their
		Liquor
1/2	ts	Salt
1		Lemon, juiced
		SAUCE:
1/2		Stick butter
4	tb	Flour
2	bn	Parsley, all stems removed,
		Finely minced
2	bn	Green onions, finely minced
8		Ribs celery, all strings
		Removed, finely minced
4	tb	Tomato paste
1	tb	Sugar
1	tb	Vinegar
1	tb	Salt, or to taste
1	ts	Ground white pepper
1/2	ts	Cayenne
1/2	c	Bread crumbs
6	sm	Ovenproof baking dishes

Roy F. Guste Jr. writes in his book 100 Greatest Dishes of Louisiana Cookery, "In 1899 my great-grandfather, Jules Alciatore, created Oysters Rockefeller at Antoine's. Jules was the second generation proprietor; his father was Antoine himself.

At that time, there was a shortage of snails from France but an abundance of oysters in Louisiana. Oysters seemed to Jules the obvious replacement for escargot. But cooked oysters? That had not yet been done except perhaps in soups. Jules thought that if snails could be cooked and served in their shells, why not oysters? And so the idea began. He decided to bake oysters on the half shell, using a bed of rock salt to keep them hot. For the sauce he decided to make use of the table relishes - green onions, celery, parsley - that were often returned untouched to the kitchen and discarded. The result was a green sauce that required an equally elegant name. Oysters Rockefeller was a perfect name for a dish of such wealth of flavor, and the name would be remembered and identified with Antoine's for years to come.

Prepare the oysters: Poach the oysters in their own liquor with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and the juice from 1 lemon for 1 minute or just until their edges barely begin to curl. Do not boil. Strain the oysters, reserving 1 cup of their liquid, and set aside.

Make the Rockefeller Sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes without coloring. Blend in the 1 cup reserved oyster poaching liquid. blend in the minced parsley, green onion and celery. Add the tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and cayenne. Simmer very, very slowly for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and adjust seasonings according to taste.

Assemble the dish: Arrange the oysters in individual oven proof dishes, 6 oysters per serving, and spoon over the Rockefeller Sauce. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and beginning to brown.

VARIATIONS: Most recipes call for spinach, though it is not employed in the original recipe. Some cooks like the sauce to be very green and use green food coloring, while others add Worcestershire and hot pepper sauce or Herbsaint or Pernod. The final touches will always depend on your own palate.

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