Mignonette Sauce for Oysters

1. Eschalots –Also known as French onions, and called “shallots” in the US. They look like baby onions, but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Onions are too chunky for mignonette.

Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions.

2. Good vinegar – With just 2 ingredients and no oil in mignonette, there’s nothing to hide behind! So the better quality vinegar you can get, the better your mignonette. Price will be your guide. 🙂

3. Oysters – Both Sydney Rock (smaller, stronger flavour) and Pacific (fleshier, cleaner flavour) oysters are great. These are the two main varieties here in Australia. Flavour and quality comes down to where they are grown. I love: Tasmanian, Merimbula, Port Stephens, Batemans Bay, Boomer Bay. But there are many more from around Australia that are great I haven’t tried or I don’t see them here in Sydney!

4. Pepper –If you want pepper, serve it in a little pinch bowl for people to sprinkle on each oyster themselves. Don’t stir it in the mignonette, it sinks.

5. Serving oysters – I generally serve on either a bed of crushed ice, rock salt (though have to dispose so I rarely do this) or a bed of cheap leafy greens (like watercress, whatever’s good value at the time).

Make ahead – You can make this the morning of the day you plan to serve. To get ahead the day before, I’d chop the eschallots and keep them in a container then mix on the day.