Elderberry Mignonette

Elderberry Mignonette

Blue elderberry trees, long used by Indigenous tribes for medicinal and culinary purposes, bear tiny clusters of tart, delicious berries in the fall. If you go foraging, be sure to have a handy guide (there are some lookalike berries you'll want to avoid) and if you don't have access to elderberry, sub huckleberries, currents, or any fresh berry you have on hand.

Makes enough for 3 dozen raw oysters, and can be kept in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Ingredients:

• 1 shallot, finely minced.
• 1/2 cup fresh berries, picked from stem, strained to remove seeds & skins
• 1/2 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup cava (or any dry sparkling wine)

Mix your berry juice & vinegar together, then strain using a sieve or metal coffee filter... this will make double sure you won’t be picking berry seeds out of your teeth later. 

In a small sauce pan, bring the berry mixture to a boil and then cool. 

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and place in an airtight container for at least four hours (this will allow the shallots to pickle slightly) before serving alongside a tray of freshly shucked oysters.