CHILLED OYSTERS on the HALF SHELL with FRENCH MIGNONETTE

If you have never used a mignonette sauce with oysters before, you might like the way the tart and peppery sharpness accentuates the flavors in an oyster. I sometimes swap out the red wine vinegar for tarragon vinegar for a bit of flavor difference. Every year, I have a Christmas Eve gathering for friends and family, and this is a recipe that everyone counts on to be there. Serves about 6 normal folks or 3 or fewer oyster lovers.

36 oysters

Lots of crushed ice

½ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespooons finely minced shallots

2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper

1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, optional

Fresh lemon juice

Scrub and rinse the oysters very briskly. Line 6 large plates or pie pans with crushed ice.

Open the oysters, severing the muscle from the shell and leaving each on in the bottom, deeper shell.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the vinegar, shallots, pepper, and thyme if desired. Taste and adjust it to your palate with the lemon juice. This will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.

Recipe adapted from The Big Book of Fish and Shellfish by Fred Thompson.