Oysters with Champagne Vinegar Mignonette

Ingredients

• For oysters
  • 1 1/2 cups kosher or other coarse salt
  • 1/2 dozen small oysters, such as Kumamoto or Prince Edward Island, shells scrubbed well and oysters left on the half shell, their liquor reserved and oysters picked over for shell fragments
  • 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
  • 1 small cluster Champagne table grapes or 2 finely diced seedless red grapes
• For mignonnette
  • 2 teaspoons Marc de Champagne vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped shallot
  • Pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Make mignonnette:
   1. Stir together vinegar, shallot, pepper, and sugar and let stand 30 minutes.
2. Prepare oysters:
   1. Preheat broiler.
   2. Spread 3/4 cup salt in an 8- to 10-inch flameproof shallow baking dish or pan. Arrange oysters on their shells in salt, then top each with a piece of butter.
   3. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until butter is melted and sizzling and edges of oysters are beginning to curl, 1 to 2 minutes.
   4. Stir parsley into mignonnette. Divide remaining 3/4 cup salt between 2 plates and arrange 3 oysters on each. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon mignonnette over each oyster and sprinkle oysters with grapes. Serve warm.