Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters with Raw Oysters and a Shallot Mignonette

This is a fantastic recipe to showcase fresh oysters, the shooters add a bit of fun to the dish and will ensure that your evening starts well!

1. For the shallot mignonette, mix the shallots, vinegars, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside for at least 4 hours ahead of time, but preferably for a day or two, which allows the flavours to blend and the shallots to mellow.
2. Just before serving give the shallot mignonette a good stir and put into small serving dishes. Pile the shucked oysters on to a platter that has been lined with crushed ice and seaweed.
3. For the Bloody Mary oyster shooters, put the vodka into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice and add the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lime juice and celery salt. Shake vigorously until well combined.
4. Just before serving, give the Bloody Mary mix another good shake and pour into eight small shot glasses. Add an oyster into each one and garnish with the celery sticks.

For the oysters:

24 raw oysters, shucked open

Fresh seaweed and crushed ice, to serve

For the shallot mignonette:

4 tbsp finely minced shallots

50ml white wine vinegar

50ml unseasoned rice vinegar

1/8 tsp caster sugar

1/8 tsp sea salt flakes

1 ¼ tsp finely crushed white peppercorns.

For the Bloody Mary oyster shooters:

50ml vodka

2 handfuls ice cubes

200ml tomato juice (thin – canned is best)

4 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

Juice of ½ lime

Good pinch celery salt

8 raw oysters, freshly opened

8 celery stalks with leaves intact, trimmed down to fit in the shot glasses

Medium mixing bowl

Serving platter

Cocktail shaker