Oysters Rockefeller was created in New Orleans at the turn of the last century. It was named for John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in America at the time, because he and the dish had something in common. If you don’t overcook them, oysters are juicy and creamy and taste luxuriously rich. Without changing too much from the classic recipe (aside from reducing the loads of butter), the fat content went from 22 grams to just under 6 grams—with most of that coming from the oysters themselves. This dish is a fabulous throwback that won’t set you back. Oysters Rockefeller are baked in piles of coarse salt not just to anchor the liquid in the oyster shell but also because salt is an excellent conductor of heat.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 tablespoon butter

　　1/2 small yellow onion, chopped fine

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　1 dozen oysters on the half shell, liquor reserved from shucking

　　1/3 cup evaporated skim milk

　　1 1/2 cups fresh chopped spinach

　　1/4 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as Ian’s All-Natural

　　3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　5 cups coarse (kosher) salt

　　

Step 1

Heat a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter. When butter has melted, add the onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add about 1/4 cup of the oyster liquor, the evaporated milk, and the spinach to the pan. Raise the heat to high and boil the sauce until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Stir in the panko and 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Season the spinach mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the mixture until cold, about 1 hour.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 450˚F.

　　

Step 4

Spread the coarse salt out in a large shallow baking dish. Lay the oysters in the salt, nestling them in slightly so they are level and secure. Divide the spinach mixture among the oysters, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon cheese. Bake until the oysters are golden and bubbling around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 22g (before), 6g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 325 (before), 127 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 8g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 9g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 40mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 329mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.