Chilled Oysters on the Half Shell with French Mignonette

If you have never used a mignonette sauce with oysters before, you might like the way the tart and peppery sharpness accentuates the flavors in an oyster. I sometimes swap out the red wine vinegar for tarragon vinegar for a bit of flavor difference. Every year, I have a Christmas Eve gathering for friends and family, and this is a recipe that everyone counts on to be there. Serves about 6 normal folks or 3 or fewer oyster lovers.
By | December 01, 2011

Ingredients

  • 36 oysters
  • Lots of crushed ice
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespooons finely minced shallots
  • 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, optional
  • Fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Scrub and rinse the oysters very briskly. Line 6 large plates or pie pans with crushed ice.

Open the oysters, severing the muscle from the shell and leaving each on in the bottom, deeper shell.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the vinegar, shallots, pepper, and thyme if desired. Taste and adjust it to your palate with the lemon juice. This will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.

Makes about 36 oysters

Recipe adapted from The Big Book of Fish and Shellfish by Fred Thompson.

Ingredients

  • 36 oysters
  • Lots of crushed ice
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespooons finely minced shallots
  • 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, optional
  • Fresh lemon juice