Aww Shucks Oysters with Cucumber Mignonette Sauce

What You’ll Need:

• 12 Tomales Bay oysters
• 1 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 hothouse cucumber, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Several turns freshly ground black pepper

How to Make ’Em:

Start by making the Cucumber Mignonette Sauce:

1. In a small bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, shallots, ginger, cucumber, sugar and black pepper and mix with a fork.
2. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to the day before you plan to serve, to allow the flavors to come together.

Once your sauce is ready for serving, go ahead and shuck the oysters:

1. Grab a durable, thick cloth and fold it over several times to create a square. This will steady the oysters as you shuck them and also protect your hand.
2. Using the towel as a mitt, hold the oyster firmly on a flat surface. Insert the tip of your oyster knife between the shell halves and work it around one side to the other as you pry it open.
3. Once open, cut the muscles away from the top, flat shell, then bend the shell back and throw it away.
4. Run the knife underneath the oyster to detach it completely, but leave it in its shell (be careful not to cut the meat itself).
5. Place the oysters in a bed of crushed ice or wet rock salt to keep them steady.

Serve the oysters immediately, applying the Cucumber Mignonette Sauce to taste.

Enjoy!