For a lot of food lovers, a cold, fresh, well-shucked oyster is about as sexy as it gets. Our idea of a perfect meal is a glass of cider in one hand and a Cape May Salt in the other (okay, and a cheese plate … gotta have a cheese plate).
Much like Champagne and oysters, Cider and oysters are a natural pairing: the balanced sweetness and effervescence of the one with the sharp, briny pop of the other. As we always like a little drizzle of vinegary mignonettes on our oysters, we decided to add cider to the mix in another way, as a unique dressing for my favorite fruit of the sea.
This recipe is easy to make and is sure to win over the cider and/or oyster lover in your life!
Pro tip: Ask your favorite fishmonger to shuck the oysters for you if you’re new to the at-home oyster game. It’ll save time, you’ll end up with cleaner oysters and it’s much safer (trust us).
Pro tip #2: If you have time, make the mignonette sauce a granita (that’s just a fancy word for slushie). The sweetness of the cider and the bite of ginger in the granita makes this a perfectly wonderful variation that’s totally worth the effort. Add Wasabi Capelin Caviar for an awesome fire and ice combo.
Oysters with Cider-Ginger Mignonette
Ingredients
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of your favorite sweet or semi-sweet cider
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root (freeze it fully before zesting for ginger “snow” that melts into the liquid)
- Large pinch kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Method
Whisk all ingredients together and serve with one dozen oysters on the half shell.
Make It a Granita
- Place the mignonette into an airtight container and pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes or until icy around the edges.
- Use a fork to roughly break up the mixture.
- Cover and place in the freezer for an additional 4 hours.
- Continue using a fork to break the mixture into coarse crystals every 30 minutes, or until firm.
- Top with Wasabi Capelin Caviar for added texture, heat and mouth-tingling thrills.
- Oyster photo: Kesu01/BigStock
- Ingredients photo: Mary Bigham