Oysters on the Half Shell with Mignonette Sauce and Caviar

Ingredients

2 teaspoons finely crushed white pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
8 cups finely crushed ice
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 dozen freshly shucked oysters on the half-shell
1 ounce beluga, osetra, or sevruga caviar

Instructions

Combine the white pepper, salt, wine, olive oil, and shallots in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside.
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Put 1 cup of the ice in each of eight small shallow rimmed soup bowls and press down gently to make a level bed. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt over each bowl of ice. Place 3 oysters in their shells on each bed and spoon an equal amount of the sauce over each. Dot with the caviar and serve cold.
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Yield: 8 servings