Recipe: Homemade Mignonette Sauce for Oysters on the Half Shell

Over the weekend we welcomed in the first autumn-like Friday by picking up a box of our favorite oysters and lighting up the outdoor brick fireplace at the river house for a small roast. Tim prepared an array of toppings that we spread out on the picnic table and we indulged in oysters on the half shell, roasted oysters, Oysters Rockefeller and my personal favorite — fresh oysters with a homemade mignonette sauce. The sauce is quick to make with just 6 ingredients and fool-proof for serving with chilled oysters — recipe below!

Over the years, it's taken me a while to acquire a taste for oysters. I originally eased in with cooked renditions of Rockefeller, then simply roasted with either butter or hot sauce before entering the world of raw oysters. The best are ice cold and salty. And while purists might disagree, a little dollop of mignonette sauce gives a raw oyster a kick of acidity that makes them hard to resist.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup shallot, minced
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp freshly cracked black peppercorns
Spritz of fresh lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt

Finely mince the shallot. Whisk remaining ingredients in a small bowl until salt is dissolved. Combine with shallot and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight before serving (colder the better), which will help the flavors blend to perfection.

Add a spoonful of the mignonette to a freshly shucked, chilled oyster. Toss back and enjoy!

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