As the number of mignonette submissions indicate, many of us love our oysters cold with minimal tampering. I'm also fussy about the provenance of my oysters because all taste different. I have a bias against Gulf oysters because they can be fatal. I think they are best farmed in a briny sea water that remains cold all year round. Last fall I drove up to Hercules, CA for a reunion of old college friends. En route I stopped in Santa Barbara at a shop which specializes in olive oils but also stocks interesting vinegars. I picked up a nice pear vinegar to bring north. The first morning did not begin well. I got press ganged and frog marched to Alcatraz. But after that we went to the Ferry Building in San Francisco and picked up 4 dozen oysters of two west coast types. Back at the ranch I whipped up this mignonette.

Share: