Oysters On The Half Shell With Raspberry Mignonette
Salty, briny oysters can be prepared any number of delicious ways — fried with aioli, steamed with just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, in a seafood boil with clams and mussels. But of all the preparations of the versatile oyster, nothing beats a fresh oyster, straight out of the water, with a simple mignonette.
Mignonette is a condiment traditionally consisting of minced shallots, cracked pepper and vinegar. We crank up the flavor with our recipe for fresh raspberry mignonette. The tart sweetness of the raspberries rounds out the acidity and draws out the crisp fruity notes in the Prophecy Sauvignon Blanc.
Oysters might seem daunting for an at-home appetizer, but once you get the hang of shucking, they're actually one of the easiest dishes out there. Just shuck your oyster, remove any shell fragments with your finger, loosen the oyster from the shell, add mignonette and serve! No forks or plates needed — your guests can slurp the oysters straight out of the half shell. Your guests will be in for a special treat with this mignonette: The raspberry sliver not only adds drama to the dish but provides an interesting texture not usually found in an oyster shooter.
For a beautiful display, fill a deep platter with ice and nestle the oysters down into the ice so that they don't wobble. Not only do the oysters look beautiful displayed this way, it will keep them cold and temperature-safe over the course of the evening.
To make this a main course, serve about 6 oysters per guest along with a big salad and lots of fresh, crusty bread.
You'll have plenty of mignonette left over, so feel free to double the oysters.
Brought to you by our friends at Prophecy Wines: 
- 3/4 cup raspberries (preferably fresh, but if frozen simply thaw)
- 2 tablespoons shallots
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Dash of freshly ground white pepper
- Add ½ cup raspberries to a fine strainer and force through with the back of a spoon, collecting the juice in a small bowl. Discard the seeds caught in the strainer.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the juice bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but up to 24 hours.
- When ready to serve, slice the remaining raspberries into slivers. Add about ½ teaspoon mignonette to each oyster on the half shell and place a raspberry sliver on each shell. Serve immediately.