Lowcountry Oysters Rockefeller

Courtesy Drew Hedlund, chef, Tradd’s, Charleston, SC
This twist on traditional Oysters Rockefeller has bonus “pot likker,” the cooking liquid for the collard greens. It’s a delicious base for soup, grits or rice.
Click here for our easy-to-make Hollandaise recipe.
- 1 pound collard greens
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 ham hocks
- ÂĽ cup apple cider vinegar
- ÂĽ cup Texas-style hot sauce, preferably Texas Pete
- ½ white onion, sliced
- ÂĽ cup bacon fat
- ½ tablespoon granulated garlic
- ½ tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- ½ tablespoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 24 raw oysters, shucked
- 1 cup Hollandaise sauce
Wash collard greens. Remove woody stems, and chop into ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
Combine all ingredients except greens, oysters and Hollandaise in medium pot, and bring to boil. Lower to simmer, covered, until hocks are tender, about 2 hours. Add greens and cook until very tender, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375ËšF. Set oysters on sheet pan. Remove ham hocks and drain greens. Divide on top of oysters. Bake oysters for 8 minutes. Just before serving, top with Hollandaise and broil for 30 seconds, or until speckled with brown.
“I like Pinot Noir with rich collard greens, but a red might clash with the oyster itself,” says Sam Richardson, general manager at Tradd’s. “So a rosé of Pinot Noir does all of the things we want Pinot to do but is friendly to the delicate flavors of the oyster.”