Oysters, a cook's day off.

Imagine my delight to be at the market trying to decide what supper will be, when the fish monger offers 50% off a new shipment of P.E.I. Oysters because she knows I'll take such a bargain and clean them myself.
Well.
I was delighted.
I took home 33 of Canada's best Malpaques. I purchased a lemon for seasoning, but better still, at home I have a bottle of home-made Kressi Vinegar Mignonette for just this sort of an occasion.

That's how I spent my night off recently. I had the place to myself; conditions where perfect. For the record, it's never fun to eat oysters around people who don't like them (the annoying majority). Most have never tried one, rather, at some point, they were offered one, looked down at it, and without accepting the offer to try it, made a snap judgment. BAM! Just like that, they abstained from ever knowing the pleasures of an oyster... Well, it's a form of hate, and it's wrong.
This goes deeply against my philosophy of trying everything at least once before making snap judgments.
I have always liked the saying "The bravest man to have existed is the first person to have tried an oyster raw". It's a primal, tasty food, best kept simple.
It's a great self-indulgence, best enjoyed with a steely Chardonnay, Champagne or Still Water and something great on tv - (say like, The Matrix Trilogy), which you would not normally get away with while being around non-oyster eating people such as your wife.

Kressi Mignonette

Yield: 500ml

Ingredients:

500ml Kressi Vinegar (Or Apple Cider, Champagne, Red Wine Vinegars will all do great!)

2 Shallots - very small, perfect brunoise (As small as possible, don't rush)

1 Tbs. Toasted, pan crushed Whole Black Peppers

Method:

1) Add everything together in a dressing bottle.

2) Store in fridge for at least 24 hours before using. Will last easily 6 months.

3) Shake the mixture and pour a tsp. worth on the oyster. Don't get carried away, try not to annoy the neighbors with the volume of the tv.

-Jerek