Oysters with Pickled Ginger Mignonette Sauce

I love oysters. I love raw oysters. Get over your fixation and start eating raw oysters. Not only are they delicious, they are incredibly good for you too: an excellent sorce of natural iodine for ye fellow thyroid sufferers!

I love me a spicy cocktail sauce for an oyster, but occasionally I'll go for a brinier vinegar-based one as well. But it needs to be special. Like this sauce...

A riff on the classic mignonette (vinegar, black pepper, shallot), this sauce uses pickled ginger as the star of the show! Yes, the bizarrely pink ginger of sushi fame is chopped up finely and mixed with finely chopped shallot, apple wine vinegar (haha!) and fresh mint. The result is a refreshing coolness that is so sleek yet has enough presence to deligh, without overpowering the delicate oysters.

Make this. Now.

Raw Oysters with Pickled Ginger "Mignonette" Sauce
a dozen of your favorite Japanese style oysters (recommend: kushi, miyagi, kumamoto)
2 Tbsp pickled ginger for sushi
1 shallot
1 Tbsp apple wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp fresh mint
freshly ground black pepper

Pop open the oysters and place halfshells on ice.

To make the sauce, finely chop the ginger, shallot and mint and add into a bowl. Add the vinegar and pepper and mix to combine. Let stand at least 15 minutes in the fridge for flavors to combine. Serve very well chilled with the oysters.


Makes a great appetizer or cocktail food for summer party!