I’ll let you in on one of my latest discoveries: Charleston chefs are creating Oysters Casino with a sumptuous Southern flair. The news is out. They use Benton’s bacon, a dash of hot sauce, and benne breadcrumbs for a nutty crunch.
I’m on a mission to find you the most succulent oyster dishes being served across the South. Here goes - from my online cookbook, Tides of Tradition, to your kitchen.
Four Legendary Oyster Dishes Every Southerner Should Know.
Please take notes about my Cornbread Stuffing Recipe. Thanksgiving will never be the same.
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What is Oysters Casino?
They are oysters baked and topped with:
Crispy chopped bacon
Breadcrumbs or panko
Finely diced bell pepper
Shallots or onion
Parsley
A touch of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, or white wine
They’re broiled or baked just until the oysters are barely set and the topping turns golden brown. The salty-smoky bacon mingles beautifully with the briny oyster liquor — pure decadence.
The Story
The dish is said to have been created around 1894 at the Casino in Narragansett, Rhode Island, a social club for the wealthy elite of the Gilded Age. It became a staple of fine seafood menus across America, often served alongside Oysters Rockefeller and Clams Casino (its clam cousin).
In Charleston’s heyday, Oysters Casino graced the tables at private clubs and verandas overlooking the harbor. Bacon from Cooper River Farms adds a Southern soul to this Northern classic, while benne seeds — those tiny flavor pearls brought here through Gullah-Geechee hands — remind us how Lowcountry cuisine always honors its roots.
2 dozen fresh oysters, shucked and served on the half shell
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp finely diced shallot
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
A few shakes of hot sauce (Charleston-style, of course)
¼ cup benne seed breadcrumbs(or toasted panko with a sprinkle of benne seeds)
Coarse salt or rock salt, for lining the baking sheet
Directions
Prepare the base: Heat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with coarse salt (this keeps the oysters steady as they bake).
Sauté the vegetables: In a small skillet, melt butter. Add shallots and peppers; sauté 2–3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Stir in Worcestershire, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Remove from heat.
Top the oysters: Arrange oysters on the salt-lined sheet. Spoon a small bit of the pepper mixture over each oyster, sprinkle with chopped bacon, then top with benne breadcrumbs.
Bake until golden: Slide into the oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the oysters are just firm and the topping is sizzling and browned.
Serve hot: Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges — and, if you like, a chilled glass of muscadine wine or Champagne.
Oysters Rockefeller
Born in New Orleans, Reimagined in the Lowcountry
The Legend: Created in 1899 at Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans, this dish was named for the wealthiest man of the era — John D. Rockefeller — because it was so rich. The chef, Jules Alciatore, invented it when he ran out of snails for escargot and decided to create something even more decadent using oysters instead.
The original recipe remains a closely guarded secret, but we know it features oysters baked on the half shell under a silky, emerald-green sauce of butter, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Some say there’s a whisper of absinthe or Pernod; others insist on spinach, watercress, or even parsley.
2 dozen fresh oysters, shucked and on the half shell
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or substitute collard greens for a deeper Southern note)
¼ cup finely chopped green onion
¼ cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp Pernod or a splash of Charleston’s High Wire Southern Amaro
½ cup panko or benne seed breadcrumbs
¼ cup Parmesan or grated aged Ashe County cheddar
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Coarse salt, for the baking sheet
Directions
Prepare the base: Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with coarse salt and nestle the oysters in their half shells.
Make the Rockefeller topping: In a skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic, green onions, and spinach until wilted. Stir in cream, Pernod (or Amaro), cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until thickened slightly.
Top and bake: Spoon a small amount of the warm mixture over each oyster. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the tops are bubbling and golden.
Serve hot with lemon wedges. Garnish with a few drops of hot sauce and a whisper of fresh parsley.
A Story to Tell
The first time I tasted Oysters Rockefeller in Charleston, it was at a candlelit supper club tucked near the Battery. The chef had swapped out the traditional spinach for collards and added benne seeds to the crumbs — a nod to both the Gullah-Geechee table and French Quarter flair. The result was as decadent as any dish served on fine china, yet as soulful as a Lowcountry hymn carried across the marsh.
Oysters Bienville
A New Orleans Classic, Rich as the French Quarter
The Legend: Named for Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the French colonial founder of New Orleans, this dish was created at Arnaud’s Restaurant in the early 1900s. Like Oysters Rockefeller, it’s baked and lavish — a creamy, brandy-scented seafood topping spooned over oysters on the half shell.
Lowcountry-Style Twist: Use local shrimp or crabmeat in the sauce — it gives a briny sweetness that pairs beautifully with the oysters.
Ingredients
2 dozen oysters on the half shell
3 Tbsp butter
¼ cup finely diced shallots
¼ cup finely diced mushrooms
¼ cup chopped shrimp or crabmeat
1 Tbsp flour
¼ cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp dry sherry or brandy
Salt, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste
Breadcrumbs for topping
Parmesan for finishing
Directions Sauté shallots and mushrooms in butter, add shrimp, and cook through. Sprinkle flour, stir, and add cream and sherry until thickened. Spoon over each oyster, top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and bake until bubbling and golden.
Thanksgiving Oyster Cornbread Stuffing
Here in the Deep South along the Eastern Seaboard, where oysters are salty-sweet, oyster Cornbread Stuffing is a Thanksgiving star.
Oyster Cornbread Stuffing
Serves 8 - 10
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped green bell pepper
6 cups cooked, crumbled cornbread
6 cups dry, toasted bread, crumbled (toasted white bread, leftover biscuits, or rolls)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or to taste, optional
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon sage or Bell’s seasoning, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 to 6 cups turkey or chicken stock
5 eggs, beaten
Instructions
Toast the bread in a toaster or in the oven. Remove and set aside to cool.
Make a pan of cornbread, remove and set aside uncovered to cool completely. You want the breads to be very dry. This can be done in advance.
When ready to bake dressing, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch pan or spray with non-stick spray.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, celery, and bell pepper.
Add the salt, Creole or Cajun seasoning, pepper, sage or Bell’s seasoning, and poultry seasoning. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl. Add the bread and toss.
Add the sauteed veggies, scraping out all of the butter; stir.
Pour in 2 cups of the broth and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Add the beaten eggs; stir.
Using a pair of kitchen shears, roughly chop the oysters. Add the oysters, with their juices, to the cornbread mixture. This is where you fix the consistency.
If you want a fluffy stuffing, you’ll use less stock. If you prefer a wetter stuffing, add additional broth as needed to reach the desired consistency, taking care not to get too soupy!
Lightly spoon into the prepared casserole dish, but do not pack in.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. For a moister stuffing, bake covered. For a drier stuffing with a crunchy top, bake uncovered.
This reads deliciously enough to make me rethink my previous views of oyster dishes.