[1] Poaching salmon is the easiest way to enjoy moist, tender fish, without cooking fish aromas. Here’s a recipe from Cooking Light. [2] Our favorite way to make beef tenderloin is to poach it. Here’s a recipe from Martha Stewart. [3] If you make chicken in a pot, or chicken soup with pieces of chicken, you’ve poached a bird. Here’s a recipe from Enki Village. [4] Our first poaching attempt was inspired by classic French dish (here’s the recipe from Buck Cooks).

Poaching food is a topic that doesn’t come up much these days.

The age-old moist-heat cooking technique simply submerges raw food in a liquid. The technique cooks the food without pulling the moisture from it: The protein is moist, never dry.

The food cooks at a relatively low temperature (about 160°–180°F), which is especially good for delicate foods (eggs, fish) that might fall apart or dry out with other cooking methods.

Heartier foods—an entire beef tenderloin or chicken—work equally well.

Decades ago, when we tried to master the art of French cooking, we purchased a large, oblong fish poacher, a pan created to poach a whole fish.

Cold poached salmon was a mainstay of French cuisine, served with dill sauce and marinated cucumbers. We loved it and ate it regularly, at the numerous classic French restaurants that graced New York City back then. It looked easy to make, and it was.

But we subsequently discovered that serving it nicely takes a bit of training. The captains at the French restaurants new how to cut neat slices, avoiding the bones. Our salmon looked like it had been hacked by starving hordes. Sigh.

We stuck the poacher in the cupboard (until, 10 years later, we learned to poach an entire beef tenderloin, a cinch tot slice), and stuck to poaching fillets. They require zero skill to serve.

START POACHING TODAY

Just about any food can be poached, poaches up moist and flavorful, and can be served warm or cold.

Poaching proteins are an easy and healthy preparation; all your healthcare providers and trainers approve. Poaching has:

 
Bonus:

You end up with an extra dish, or part thereof.

The poaching liquid becomes a delicious broth that can be served later, thickened into a sauce, or used in other recipes.

WHAT’S IN THE POACHING LIQUID?

The poaching liquid can include whatever flavors you want, from the base to the add-ins.

Our wine editor, Kris Prasad, who taught us to poach a tenderloin, advised: “Toss in whatever you have: leftover wine, herbs, soy sauce instead of salt, a splash of balsamic, citrus juice or vinegar for tartness. Anything works.”

The poaching liquid can be:

In terms of add-ins: Add in whatever flavors you like, from classic mirepoix—carrots, celery, onions—and fresh herbs, to the less obvious—cardamom, cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole nutmeg, etc.

Don’t wait to try them: You may discover that poaching proteins is your favorite food discovery of the year.
  

Since it became a media darling in 2011, kale has found its way into every type of recipe imaginable. Even chocolate bars.

Compartes Chocolatier in Los Angeles makes artisan chocolate bars with what have become more or less mainstream add-ins: Brownie, Coconut Macadamia, Coffee & Cacao Nibs, Crispy Rice, Matcha, Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel, Salted Pretzel, Smoked Sea Salt and Whisky, among others.

Some are quite fun: Animal Cookies, Cookies & Cream, Granola, Malt Ball, Piña Colada, Popcorn, S’mores.

There are the “seen here first” flavors, the chocolate bars taking a cue from trendy cupcakes: Birthday Cake, Biscuits & Honey, Cereal Bowl, Donuts and Coffee, Hazelnut Toast.

And then there’s the Vegan* Zen Bar, a 75% dark chocolate bar filled with kale crisps, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds, and no added sugar.

Check it out here.

While not particularly edgy, a second kale preparation that caught our eye was this chopped kale and herb garnish on a strip steak, from Upper Story restaurant in New York City.

The balsamic-glazed steak sits on a bed of sautéed greens and garlic smashed potatoes, with a Port sauce and fried onion rings.

Not exactly health food, but the kale makes it on trend.

Until the “next kale” hits the store shelves.
 
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH KALE?

While cooks have been using kale on everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to pesto, here are some more fun applications:

[1] A chocolate bar with kale crisps, seeds and no added sugar from Compartes (the bar has no Brussels sprouts and tomatoes; they are just photo props). [2] A New York strip steak topped with chopped kale and herbs, at Upper Story | NYC.

[2] Some recipes add bacon and Mornay sauce, a cheese sauce variation of béchamel (photo © Arch Rock Fish).

[3] Oysters Rockefeller at Bonefish Grill have a garnish of diced bacon (photo © Bonefish Grill).

[4] Oysters Rockefeller as currently served at Antoine’s in New Orleans (photo © Antoine’s Restaurant).

It was celebrated big-time in New Orleans, where the dish was first created at Antoine’s Restaurant.

> The recipe is below.

> Check out our Oyster Glossary for the different types of oysters.

> The history of oysters.

> The year’s 58 fish and seafood holidays (National Oyster Day is August 5th).
 
 
OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER HISTORY

Oysters Rockefeller was invented in 1899 by Jules Antoine Alciatore at the end of Gilded Age.

Jules was the son of restaurant founder Antoine Alciatore, who passed in 1874 and was succeeded by his wife, then his son.

The restaurant is still going strong in the hands of the fifth generation and is America’s oldest family-run restaurant.

Served as an appetizer or first course, the dish was named after John D. Rockefeller Sr. (1839 – 1937), who is considered to be the wealthiest American of all time and—by a majority of sources—the richest person in modern history.

As necessity is the mother of invention, the dish was created because of a shortage of imported French escargots needed for his father’s signature recipe, Escargots Bourguignon.

That classic French dish features snails in a butter sauce of garlic, parsley, and shallots. Antoine peré had substituted brandy or anise liqueur for the traditional white wine.

With the shortage of snails and the waning interest in escargots, Jules Antoine devised a replacement with local oysters, always available.

The original topping for the grilled oysters is a secret, but is a purée of several green vegetables: flat-leaf parsley, celery leaves, tarragon leaves, chervil and green onions, seasoned with salt, a dash of hot sauce, and anise liqueur.

There was no spinach, the green most often used in copycat versions.

Oysters on the half-shell are topped with the sauce and bread crumbs, and then baked (now often broiled).

They are served as an appetizer, first course, or starter—different terms for the first dish of a multi-course sit-down meal.
 
 
Why Oysters “Rockefeller?”

The dish was named for the intense richness of its flavored roux (a paste, not a cream sauce, deemed “rich enough for Rockefeller”—John D. Rockefeller Sr., the richest man in history).

The greens contributed to the color of money. As with the escargots, there was anise liqueur.

From what can be deduced, in Antoine’s original Oysters Rockefeller recipe, oysters on the half shell are topped with herbed bread crumbs, butter and cream, then baked.

The herbs and proportions are secret, but sleuths have determined that they include flat-leaf Italian parsley, celery leaves, tarragon leaves, chervil and green onions. Seasonings included salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

This became a “wow” dish in New Orleans, where oysters were popularly served on the half shell, but not incorporated into complex recipes.

There is no record that Rockefeller (who died of arteriosclerosis) ever ate the dish.
 
 
Chefs Make Oysters Rockefeller Variations

A later variation of the recipe substituted spinach for most of the herbs, which is mainstream today.

Some leave off the bread crumbs and purée the green herbs/vegetables, creating a smooth green cloak over the entire oyster.

Some mince the greens and mix them into the bread crumbs.

Over the years, other chefs garnished the recipe with shredded Gruyère or Parmesan, some with a thick layer of melted cheese covering both the oysters and the sauce.

Bacon inevitably worked its way in.

You can make your own signature recipe (more about that below), working off of this template—which of course isn’t the secret recipe, but a re-imagining of Antoine’s recipe by Saveur magazine.

We adapted this recipe from Saveur, which attempted to recreate the original. You can see it in Photo #4, the last photo above.

The oysters are topped with a roux full of herbs and vegetables. Saveur’s variations from the original include:

 
The original recipe did not have bacon, but in our bacon-is-better food culture, many people add it. The same with shredded Gruyère cheese.

As an appetizer, we prefer three large oysters. If you’re serving a big meal, two will suffice. And, if you’re having a NIBBLE-style eight-course meal, one will do.

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
We decorated the dishes with slender, red cayenne chiles for color—not meant to be eaten. But two guests ate them nevertheless!
 
 
Variations For Your Signature Oysters Rockefeller

Here’s our contribution to the recipe. Use one or more of these garnishes to create your own signature version of Oysters Rockefeller. Call it Oysters Rockefeller à la [Your Name].

[6] Tarragon, a popular herb in French cuisine, has an anise-like flavor and aroma (photo © Good Eggs).

[7] Rock salt is a good cushion so that the oyster fillings don’t spill out when cooking and serving. This fine rock salt is great for serving. You can use a coarser version for baking if it’s cheaper (photo © The Bite-Sized Blog).

1. FILL 2 baking dishes halfway with rock salt. Shuck the oysters over a large measuring cup (e.g. Pyrex with a lip) or bowl to catch their liquor and reserve it (you should have about 1/2 cup). Discard the top shells. Loosen the oysters from the bottoms of their shells with a knife. Nestle 6 shucked oysters in their shells into each bed of rock salt; chill.

2. MAKE the roux. Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until smooth, stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the oyster liquor; cook until the mixture thickens into a paste, about 2 minutes.

3. STIR in the cayenne, scallions, celery, tarragon, parsley, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until soft, about 1 hour. Transfer to a food processor, add bread crumbs, and process into a smooth paste, about 2 minutes.

4. HEAT the broiler to high. Place the paste in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2″ fluted tip. Pipe the paste completely over the oysters. Broil until the paste begins to brown and the oysters are just cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Garnish each plate with parsley sprigs.
 
 
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*White pepper has been traditionally used by French-trained chefs, to avoid black specks in white or light-colored dishes. White pepper is the conventional peppercorn, Piper nigrum, with the black husk removed. In addition, much of the piperine—the compound that gives pungency to the peppercorn—is in the black husk.

Styles change over the centuries. Frankly, we like the specks and the extra flavor from the husk and use black peppercorns universally. So if you don’t have white pepper, simply use black pepper. Here are the different types of pepper, including pink peppercorns, green peppercorns and dozens of others, none of which is Piper nigrum.
 
 

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