Oysters Lafitte

Named for the pirate Jean Lafitte, this New Orleans steakhouse classic is what happens when oysters Rockefeller goes to finishing school. Two sauces on each oyster: a dilled garlic-cream-crab base, then a buttery tarragon béarnaise on top, broiled to a golden brown.

This is fundamentally restaurant cooking and demands restaurant discipline. The dual sauces have to be built simultaneously while the oysters wait on rock salt, then everything assembles at the last minute under the broiler.

The rock salt is structural, not decorative. It cradles the shells level so the precious sauce doesn’t run out, and it absorbs heat to keep the oysters hot from the bottom while the top broils. A rimmed sheet pan covered an inch deep works perfectly.

The tarragon-wine reduction must cook to a dry paste before the egg yolks go in, otherwise you’ll get a thin, broken sauce. Drizzle the butter slowly, like making mayonnaise; rushing breaks the emulsion.

The 30-second pre-broil step is the trick. It lightly cooks the oysters without firming them up, so they’re warm and ready to receive sauce without overcooking under the final broil.

Chef Tips

• Use lump or jumbo lump crab meat and pick through it gently for any bits of shell. Cheap crab is the fast way to ruin this dish.
• Shuck oysters yourself for maximum freshness, or have your fishmonger shuck them within an hour of cooking. Pre-packaged shucked oysters lose their liquor and shape.
• Keep the béarnaise warm (not hot) until plating. Direct heat will break it; a thermos or warm-water bath holds it perfectly.
• Serve immediately. The sauces are at their best in the first three minutes off the broiler.

Variations

• Substitute lobster for the crab if you’re feeling decadent.
• Swap fresh tarragon for chervil for a more delicate, anise-leaning sauce.
• Add a tablespoon of Pernod or absinthe to the cream sauce for a hint of New Orleans Sazerac character.