Seaweed Mignonette Recipe

There are plenty of ways to eat a raw oyster: purists think it’s sacrilege to put anything on an oyster while others favor a squeeze of lemon and a small dab of horseradish or cocktail sauce. But we think mignonette is the perfect accompaniment for raw oysters.

Mignonette is a french term - originally meaning a sachet of peppercorns, cloves, and spices to flavor liquids - but the sauce was actually invented in New York in the 1930s. While different vinegar can be used to make a mignonette, they must contain cracked peppercorn and shallot. We like to use Domaine de Terres Rouges*, an aged cider vinegar steeped with seaweed, shallots, and fleur de sel. To enhance the briney and umami flavor, we take a bit of kombu seaweed and soak it in the vinegar overnight before making the mignonette.

shopping list —

• two small shallots

• half of a cup of very good vinegar (champagne, cider or red wine)

• very coarse freshly cracked black pepper

• a 4x4” piece of dried kombu (if desired)

steps —

• If time allows, submerge the kombu in the vinegar overnight.

• Mince the shallots - in the biz we call this hacher (hash-AY). One simple trick for the perfect shallot hacher is to very thinly slice the shallots on a mandoline into rings and mince the rest of the way with a knife. Add the shallots and freshly cracked black pepper to the vinegar and give it a stir.

• Spoon onto your shucked oyster. 

Mignonette will keep in the fridge but it’s best if the shallot has been strained out (which will also help retain the shelf life- it is vinegar after all) - just add fresh shallot when you want to use it again. 

*If you signed up for a subscription in early 2023, you were gifted Domaine de Terres Rouges Seaweed Cider Vinegar with your first box. Now is a great time to pull that vinegar out to make this mignonette!