A Wedding Reception at Antoine's?...We Do.

Take Away - Oysters Rockefeller

Antoine's Restaurant is one of New Orleans' most famous restaurants. It opened its doors in 1840, and is credited with originating Oysters Rockefeller. Last weekend, Mr. Rockefeller and everything else in the building was consumed in celebration of our friends, Lizzie Schott and Craig Webb.

Mollie and I thought two weddings in one day would kill us. After enjoying the first wedding and reception (which was fantastic), we headed to the church for our second ceremony of the day. The ceremony was wonderful, but I was quickly losing steam before we made it to Antoine's. In a moment of weakness, I actually questioned my reception stamina....then I walked in...

Let me say this....Antoine's is not a tiny building (it takes up the majority of a city block), and the entire downstairs was closed for the reception. We walked into the front doors and Mollie gave me the order to fetch her one of the 3 million glasses of champagne that were welcoming guests. I was very careful as I proceeded with my mission, as the entrance room also served as the cake room. I have a phobia of being the fat guy that trips and takes out the wedding cake, and this particular cake had a gravitational pull.
Catastrophe avoided, we moved into the main dining room where one of the most awesome bands (complete with change of costume between sets) greeted everyone. The scene was overwhelming, but immediately conveyed a clear message...I was not leaving early. We made our way to a drink station on a side hallway. There we found the Eagle (last post), Paula de Laurentiis (first post) and a group of other friends...all were testing the cocktail prowess of the Antoine's staff.

I ordered a brandy milk punch to calm the stomach while Mollie and every other lady in the room abandoned ship to watch the first dance. While I tried to catch a glimpse over the crowd, our friend Jeff Fick motioned for me to follow him through what I found out were the gates of seafood heaven. The Rex room at Antoine's was filled with the mother load of all seafood experiences. There was enough fresh shrimp and crabmeat for days. I fell in line and attacked.

After showing Mollie the seafood market, we continued to explore the rooms and visit with people. At one point, I spotted a friend of ours, made a mental note to walk over to say hello, and did not see him again for another hour. With the amount of people and the various rooms filled with replenishing food, I felt like I was at Christmas dinner at Hogwarts.

After hitting another food station and taking a break with our friends (Jeff and Bebe), we decided to hit the dance floor. The main room of the restaurant was, to say the least, rockin! I saw uptown New Orleanians waving their hands in the air like blue blood don't care. It was spectacular!

Finally, I found my friend, Oysters Rockefeller . . .we had a moment. At Antoine's, this dish truly makes the palate want to stay behind long after the body leaves. And, unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end (or a pause). The traditional New Orleans Second Line started and led all of the guests out. Chartered buses were available for anyone inclined to be swept into the night. Since some of the party-goers were not quite ready to retire, the bride and groom were nice enough to meet 50-75 die hards at the Ritz Carlton.

Jeremy Davenport and his band usually crank out jazz music on Saturday nights at the Ritz, but the sound of the band was dwarfed by clinking, dancing and the wedding crowd's general commotion. At one point, our friend Jessie Haynes (sister of the bride) was approached by her long lost child (below). Her husband, Beau, did not let the reunion shake him up, and continued to play it cool.

Never again will I look at Antoine's the same.......

Although the pictures of my friend, Oysters Rockefeller, did not turn out well...here is a recipe.

Oysters Rockefeller

• Two dozen fresh oysters on the half shell, oyster liquor reserved
• 4 springs flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 4 green onions (including the green part)
• A handful of fresh celery leaves
• At least 6 fresh tarragon leaves
• At least 6 fresh chervil leaves
• 1/2 cup dried FRESH French bread crumbs
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Hot sauce, to taste
• 2 tablespoons Herbsaint or Pernod (optional)
• Rock salt or kosher salt

Mince together the parsley, green onions, celery leaves, tarragon and chervil as finely as you possibly can (more than you ever have...almost to the point of mush).

Mix minced mixture together with the bread crumbs and the softened butter into a mortar and mix the whole thing together into a smooth paste, but leave a little texture (a blender or food processor can be used, but much gets stuck behind). Season to taste with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Herbsaint (if desired).

Preheat broiler. Lower the top rack to the middle of the oven. Spread the rock salt (preferable) or kosher salt over a large baking sheet to keep the oysters at the same height (and stable) under the broiler. Moisten the salt very slightly by sprinkling a very small amount of water. Plant the shells in the salt, making sure they are level. Place one oyster in each shell, plus a little bit of oyster liquor. Spoon an equal amount of the prepared herb/butter mixture over each oyster. Broil on middle rack until the edges of the oysters have curled and the herb butter is bubbling, about five minutes. Serve immediately.