We’re a little too old to down the neon green jell-o shots of our youth, but these brightly crowned freshly shucked oysters give us the “je ne sais quoi” of tossing back a boozy shot without any regret. 

We swapped out the little plastic ramekin for our favorite bivalve and spent the time we’d normally wait for gelatin to set by babysitting this simple, salty granita we used as an extraordinary mignonette. 

• Ingredients: 
• 2 cups hot, but not quite boiling rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon, high quality matcha powder
• 1 Persian cucumber, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 
• 12 freshly shucked oysters
• 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped 
• Limes, for serving 

Not a difficult recipe in any way, but one where you will need to stay home for at least four hours to continue to check in on your granita so you can break it apart in a way that will freeze in nice, small shards.  

First, whisk white pepper and matcha into the cooling vinegar.  After the liquid has mostly cooled, pour it into a food processor along with your cucumber until the vegetale is completely demolished.  Strain the cucumber bits out using a coffee filter or mine, mesh sieve and pour into a freezer-safe container with a lid.  Freeze in a flat place in your freezer for two hours.  After that time, remove from the freezer.  Small zones of ice should have begun to form.  Break them up with the backside of a fork and place back in the freezer.  Now, in thirty minute intervals, continue to jostle and break the ice up into icey bits.  Repeat at least three times before serving on top shucked oysters with chives and limes for serving.