Shucked Oysters With Two Sauces By Annie Copps

Few ingredients express their hometown quite like an oyster. And the majority of oysters growing in New England are all the same species: Crassostrea virginica.

The size, shape, flavor, and texture of an oyster are not from the type of oyster they are, but rather where they come from—the salinity of the water, the temperature of the water, what the oysters feed on, and the force of the tides and speed of the currents—that's what makes an oyster from a coastal island in Maine taste completely different from the same species grown in Duxbury or Cotuit or Wellfleet. Just a squeeze of lemon or dab of cocktail sauce does a raw oyster well, but I hope you'll try these sauces to enhance their briny attributes.

A classic mignonette sauce is a simple combination of finely chopped shallots, vinegar and cracked pepper, while a remoulade involves a bit of mayonnaise mixed with a salty combo of chopped cornichons and capers and fresh herbs—either way, get yourself to a freshly shucked New England oyster.

Mignonette Sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly ground white or black pepper

Directions
In a small bowl combine ingredients. Refrigerate one hour before serving.

Remoulade Sauce
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 cup chopped cornichon pickles
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh chervil

Directions
In a small bowl combine ingredients. Refrigerate one hour before serving.

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Annie B. Copps is a senior editor at Yankee Magazine. Annie oversees the magazine's food coverage, both as an editor and as a contributor of feature stories and columns.