Grilled Oysters Rockefeller

Method

This holiday-ready dish is a showstopper — and easy to prep once you get the hang of shucking oysters. The Cowboy Cauldron’s grill surface provides the perfect platform to roast these half-shell beauties with a gentle kiss of wood smoke and bubbling heat.

Start by sourcing 2–3 dozen fresh oysters (East Coast varieties like Blue Point work great, but go with what’s local and fresh). Shucking oysters will be exponentially faster and easier if you put them on the grill for just a few seconds, until the shell pops open. When you see this, pull them off the heat with gloves or tongs, then carefully shuck them, doing your best to leave as much liquor as you can on the half shell. It sounds more difficult than it is, trust us!

In a skillet or mixing bowl, prepare your Rockefeller topping:

• 4 Tbsp butter

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 2 cups chopped spinach (or a spinach/arugula mix)

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko works well)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Pinch of chili flake (optional)

• Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano (for topping)

Sauté the shallot and garlic in butter until translucent, then add the spinach and deglaze with Pernod. Once the greens are wilted and most liquid is evaporated, remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs.

Put filled oysters back on the grill and let them heat up until the topping melts. Covering them with a wok lid or virtually anything else will hold heat in and speed this step up a bit, as well. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, hot sauce, and your favorite sparkling beverage!

Serving Tip

Don’t worry if you don’t have any oyster tray. Any rimmed platter or plate will do. You can put rock salt, sand, sprigs of rosemary or thyme, or anything else at hand that seems fitting, in the bottom of the tray, which will help the cooked oysters  remain upright. Most of them well never make it to the tray. Folks will gobble them down the second they are cool enough to touch!

Why We Love It

This recipe is pure holiday theater. The sizzle, the smoke, the bold green-and-gold presentation — it’s everything we love about cooking around the fire. Perfect for New Year’s Eve, a winter dinner party, or any celebration that calls for something impressive yet deeply comforting. Plus, you’ll look like a legend without breaking a sweat.