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. This dish could bear 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 chef in Antoine's famed kitchen, invented 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. "I know of no other word rich enough for their riches."
Although many restaurants serve similar dishes, only historic Antoine (founded by Antoine Alciatore, Jules Alciatore's father in 1840) serves the original Oysters Rockefeller. Alton Brown of Food Network alerted us on Good Eats that Alciatore brought the dish to his grave. Others have tried to determine the finer ingredients with no success. The authentic dish is only available to Antoine's and the Alciatore families.
Antoine's recipe has stood the test of time and has been lauded by culinary critics, who has delivered over 3.5 million orders of Oysters Rockefeller and counting. Since 1889, the restaurant has numbered each order. And today's clients receive their coveted number identifying their place in Oysters Rockefeller's history.
