What is National Oysters Rockefeller Day?
On January 10th, the National Oyster Rockefeller Day honors a dish so rich that only one man's name was recognized at the time. At least, that's the tale according to the chef who so skillfully created popular dishes in the French Quarter.
Jules Alciatore, a renowned kitchen of Antoine's, created a recipe for baked oysters on the half shell with sauce and bread crumbs that would earn the name Oysters Rockefeller in 1889. "I know of no other name rich enough for their riches," Alciatore himself said.
Although many restaurants serve similar dishes, only historic Antoine's (founded by Antoine Alciatore, Jules Alciatore's father in 1840) serves the original Oysters Rockefeller. Alton Brown of Food Network told us on Good Eats that Alciatore brought the dish to his grave. Some have attempted to determine the finer ingredients with no success. Only Antoine's and the Alciatore family have the authentic recipe.
Antoine's recipe has stood the test of time and has received the praises of culinary critics, having served over 3.5 million orders of Oysters Rockefeller and counting. Since 1889, the restaurant has numbered each order. Customers of Oysters Rockefeller also have their privileged number identifying their place in the company's history.
