Nicholas Gavin is the Culinary Creative Director of ChefSteps, where he develops recipes and is responsible for making all the food look beautiful. Nick has worked at ChefSteps for over a decade; he and ChefSteps co-founder Grant Crilly worked together at Modernist Cuisine. Nick has worked in professional kitchens both in the United States and abroad, most notably at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.

Nicholas Gavin

A good oyster, with its fresh, briny sweetness and beautiful texture, doesn’t really need anything more than a squeeze of lemon.But if you’re going to dress freshly shucked oysters with a mignonette, the condiment should complement the flavor of the oyster—neither too harshly acidic nor overloaded with extra flavors—and any added textural elements should be pleasing to eat (you don’t want large bits of black pepper or shoddily diced shallot).This mignonette hits all the right notes: sweet, acidic, with a pronounced but not overpowering vegetal bite. It’s also a breeze to make. Steep grated red onion (no meticulous brunoise required) in an aromatic brine for a few minutes, and you’re rewarded with a bright neon pink mignonette that will brighten up any <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/guides-tools/ultimate-seafood-tower">seafood tower</a>.

Neon Mignonette