The Unexpected Ingredient You Need To Seriously Upgrade Raw Oysters

There are two types of people in this world: Those who despise raw oysters, and those who can't get enough of them. The slimy shellfish are both famous and infamous for their flavor and texture, depending on how you view them. If you're on Team Oyster, odds are you have a preferred type, whether it be a Wellfleet or a Blue Point. You probably also have a preferred garnish, like lemon or horseradish. While we don't recommend drowning your raw oyster so much that you miss out on all of its subtleties from the sea, a little added flavor never hurt anybody. Chef Ji Hye Kim, the owner of Ann Arbor's Miss Kim, recommends a bit of kimchi brine or finely chopped kimchi to upgrade the humble oyster in a big way.

"Napa cabbage kimchi often has raw oysters added to it, which adds briny complexity and amped up umami to kimchi," says Kim, who was one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2021."Switch the portions around and add some kimchi brine or finely chopped kimchi as the mignonette to freshly shucked oysters." This small addition is a great way to add flavor to your oysters when you're sick of the typical shallot mignonette. Kimchi brings acidity and a bit of spice to balance the oyster's sea-tinged sharpness. This unlikely duo will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about flavor pairings. 

As per Ji Hye Kim's suggestion, two of the best ways to add kimchi to freshly shucked oysters are by adding just the brine or by finely chopping kimchi like you would a shallot. Combine these two methods, however, and you've got a super intense mignonette. Using both the brine and a bit of kimchi itself, some Gochujang red pepper paste, red wine vinegar, and a few additional shallots will bring unforgettable umami and spice to your oysters.

While we're partial to raw oysters, one of our other favorite ways to eat them is grilled. Just like how butter plays a crucial role in serving escargot, grilled oysters go great with compound butters, too. Whip up a batch of kimchi butter by pulsing the two ingredients into a food processor until combined. Then, roll and wrap the butter up in parchment paper, placing it in the fridge until it's solidified and ready to be used. You can either add butter to your oysters before adding them to the grill or add it to them after they've been on the grill for a few minutes. However you do it — and however you decide to add kimchi to your oysters — is sure to be delicious.