Mignonette Sauce for Oysters

Take your oysters to the next level with this mignonette sauce recipe. With shallots, vinegar, and white pepper, it's a classic accompaniment to raw oysters.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Updated June 23, 2021
Elise Bauer
Overhead view of oyster sauce surrounded by oysters.
Sally Vargas

Do you like raw oysters? My brother Matt lives in Point Reyes, California and has access to wonderful oysters from Tomales Bay.

Lately he's been bringing a few dozen with him when he comes to visit. The oyster eaters among us gather and have quite the feast when he arrives.

What Is Mignonette Sauce?

My favorite accompaniment to fresh, raw oysters is this mignonette—a piquant sauce made with vinegar and shallots that you sprinkle on top of the oyster, much like a squeeze of lemon juice.

It's a lovely balance to the briny, somewhat creamy oysters.

Overhead view of oyster sauce surrounded by oysters.
Sally Vargas

An Oyster Sauce with French Roots

The recipe comes by way of my French sweetheart, who grew up on oysters in the South of France. This is his cherished mignonette recipe which he makes every time we have a gathering to enjoy oysters.

By the way, according to him, "mignonette" translates roughly into "cute, small, and tasty", and that's exactly what this is.

Pair Your Raw Oysters with These Seafood Appetizers

Mignonette Sauce for Oysters

Prep Time 15 mins
Marinating 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins
Servings 12 servings

Make the mignonette at least 4 hours ahead of time, preferably a day or two, which allows for the flavors to blend, and the shallots to mellow.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup minced shallots (about 2 1/2 ounces)

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

  • 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (if using seasoned rice vinegar, omit the sugar and salt)

  • 1/8 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/4 teaspoon finely crushed white peppercorns (do not use pre-ground or powdered white pepper)

Method

  1. Finely mince the shallots:

    Peel and coarsely chop the shallots. Put them into a food processor and pulse a few times, until the shallots are finely minced, but not mush, with pieces no smaller than the tip of a match.

    You can also finely mince by hand if you wish. The advantage of using a food processor is that the food processor bowl captures all of the liquid released by the shallots as they are minced, which will enhance the flavor of the mignonette.

    Food processor making a mignonette sauce.
    Sally Vargas
  2. Stir in white vinegar, rice vinegar, sugar, salt:

    Place the minced shallots and any liquid released from them in a non-reactive bowl. Add the white vinegar, rice vinegar, and sugar and salt. Stir with a fork.

    Add the freshly crushed white pepper. Stir with a fork.

    Overhead view of a glass bowl and fork making mignonette sauce.
    Sally Vargas
  3. Chill:

    Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours. For best results, store for at least 2 days before using.

    The mignonette flavor will be better blended the longer it sits. You may notice that the crushed white peppercorns may sink to the bottom of the bowl as the mignonette rests. If you see this, just give it a little stir.

    The mignonette will last up to a month in the refrigerator.

    How to Serve the Mignonette:

    To serve, shuck the oysters. (Here is an excellent video by Serious Eats on How to Shuck an Oyster.) Make sure that the oyster is loose in the shell before serving.

    Usually the mignonette sauce is served in a small bowl with a small spoon, alongside the oysters on a platter (or as the French say, "plateau de coquillages"). People can scoop a small amount of the mignonette (1/8 of a teaspoon or so) onto their oyster before eating.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
7 Calories
0g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 7
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 22mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 24mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.