Garnish your fresh oysters with this Mediterranean Oyster sauce with Sumac! It's a unique Lebanese spin on the classic mignonette that pairs beautifully with raw oysters.
Sumac is a common ingredient in Lebanon that's used to add a briny flavor to dishes and adding in oysters has been one of my favorite sumac recipes!
Living in the great Pacific Northwest, oysters are a common appetizer in our household. Whether we grab some from neighbors, get our own from the bay, or purchase from a local oyster farm, we make sure to keep them in our roation all year-around.
If we're a little too busy to shuck, I turn to opening oysters in the air fryer. It's my for sure way or opening them with zero fuss and get right back to enjoy our day.
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Mediterranean Sauce for Oysters
Raw oyster toppings, such as mignonette, are typically made using a tasty vinegars and few ingredients.
And whether you're dishing up fresh raw oysters on the half-shell, or baked oysters - this oyster vinaigrette will be the star of the show. Without using onions or shallots, you can get a strong flavor - that typically pairs great with oysters, with a spice called Sumac, along with red wine vinegar - it's sidekick for this recipe.
Sumac is the secret spice to make this vinaigrette sauce for oysters extra special. It has a purple color to it, which gives this vinaigrette it's unique color. It's a Mediterranean spice that is commonly used in various Middle eastern dishes, however, if you'd like to substitute it for another common ingredient, I do share a substitute option!
INGREDIENTS NOTES
- Red wine vinegar. Being that this is a staple ingredient, make sure your red wine vinegar is fresh to make the best oyster vinaigrette recipe. Using red wine vinegar and sumac (talked about below) eliminates the need to use shallots, making this a great mignonette recipe without shallots - which can be hard to come by when going the traditional route.
- Extra virgin olive oil. I like using a little fat in this mignonette. If you don't have olive oil on hand and prefer not to purchase some, substitute for butter. However, to get an authentic Mediterranean style vinaigrette, it's best to use a good extra virgin olive oil.
- Sumac. This is a highly used spice in Mediterranean cuisine. Traditionally used for vinaigrettes in one of our popular salads. I also used it in this Fried Feta Spinach Salad. It's citrusy but with a deeper flavor profile. If you can't get it in your hands and this Amazon Sumac option is not going to work in your time frame, than you can try substituting 1 teaspoon of sumac for ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest. Though it won't be exactly the same, you will get a citrusy flavor substitute without added liquid.
- Garlic. Freshly minced garlic is best, I wouldn't use pre-minced garlic that's typically sold in a jar.
- Sprinkle of salt if you choose to would be fine.
- Fresh Parsley. For oyster garnish chop fresh flat-leaf parsley. Parsley is also a widely used herb in Mediterranean cuisine, especially on seafood, salads, and well just about any dish.
HOW TO MAKE IT
Making this raw oyster sauce is so incredibly easy, with very minimal work and almost no chopping. All you need to do is:
- Collect the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir them to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (if time allows).
- And top to fresh or cooked oysters and enjoy!
HOW TO STORE A MIGNONETTE
You can store it in the fridge in an airtight container. When stored properly, it should last a few weeks.
It's long shelf-life makes it the perfect sauce to prep in advance and have one less thing to do last minute - especially if you're entertaining a crowd.
TOP TIPS
- If you have the time, prep the vinaigrette sauce in advance and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.
- Use fresh ingredients to make a good quality mignonette that's going to shine.
- Make sure to double or triple this recipe, as you see fit for the quantity of oysters you're serving.
HOW TO PREPARE HALF SHELL OYSTERS
If you're planning on enjoying oysters raw, then make sure you have an oyster shucking set in order to shuck them safely. You will need gloves, or a kitchen towel, and an oyster shucking knife. Simply shuck, and use this raw oyster topping to garnish!
Though, I like to take the easy route of shucking when I can and shuck them in the air fryer. This is how to open oyster shells in the air fryer!
FAQ
It's best to prepare it a few hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld. However, it can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Different oysters have varying flavor profiles. The mignonette works well with both briny and sweeter oysters, enhancing their natural taste.
Look to your local seafood market for fresh oysters, or turn to online distributors. Plenty of shellfish distributors make it easy to order online and have oysters delivered to your home at a fraction of the cost of dining out. Otherwise, is you're in the PNW, we love gathering oysters ourselves in the Puget Sound.
Mediterranean Sauce for Oysters with Sumac
Ingredients
- 1 TB sumac
- 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TB red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 1 sprinkle fresh parsley to garnish
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine sumac, olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and salt.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle the fresh parsley before serving.
- Pour as much as you'd like over each oyster. About a teaspoon is a good guide.
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