Mignonette Sauce

By Melissa Clark

Updated Feb. 3, 2025

Mignonette Sauce
Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
10 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ resting
Rating
4(313)
Comments
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This simple recipe gives you a classic mignonette sauce for oysters, clams or other seafood, but you can play with the basic formula by changing the vinegar (try cider, malt, sherry, champagne), swapping the allium (try leeks, scallions or red onion), adding a squeeze of citrus juice or stirring in some fresh herbs like tarragon or mint. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, so the flavors can blend and the sauce can be at its tangy, peppery best.

Featured in: To Eat Oysters Better, Treat Them Like Wine

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Ingredients

Yield:⅔ cup
  • ¼cup finely minced shallots (from 1 to 2 shallots)
  • ⅓cup red-wine or white-wine vinegar
  • 1teaspoon coarsely ground black or white peppercorns
  • Pinch of sea salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1.3333333333333333 servings)

77 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 94 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar until well blended. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Mignonette will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
313 user ratings
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Comments

Keith

When you freeze this sauce and shave it onto the oysters it is another level of wonderful.

Dumboy

Out here in the SF Bay Area, Hog Island Oyster Co. rules. Their website features two different takes on a mignonette: https://hogislandoysters.com/recipes/ Their most popular one, Hogwash, is a little too sweet for my taste. I'd reduce the seasoned rice vinegar and increase the rice vinegar to taste.

Tricia

Somewhere in Paris many years ago I was served a mignonette sauce with raspberry vinegar (no seeds). I've made it this way ever since - just a touch of a good quality raspberry wine vinegar with very finely minced shallot on the oyster, preferably a northern Atlantic. Belons if you can find them.

CoastalPizza

Adding a pinch of salt to the shallots and crushing with fork before adding vinegar helps to release their flavor. After crushing, wait 5-10 minutes before adding vinegar to allow flavor to develop. Allowing the mixture to rest for several hours greatly improves the flavor. Also, you can experiment with the vinegar variety -- rice, champagne, cider -- they all work. This is great on roast oysters, which, when done properly, are nearly raw.

Jack

I’ve made this as written several times and it’s delicious. It is my go to mignonette. Tonight I’m subbing a lovely tarragon vinegar. Looking forward to cocktail hour!

Ethel

I use champagne vinegar…delish!!!

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