For the chardonnay dressing, place the chardonnay and sugar in a small saucepan, then bring to the boil. If you feel brave you can flambe the liquid in the saucepan – set it alight to burn off the alcohol and wait until the flame goes out. This is recommended in the original recipe but, full disclosure, I didn’t.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Add the chardonnay vinegar and shallots to the cooled liquid, then leave to marinate for three to four hours.

To serve oysters, place a bed of ice. Spoon a teaspoon of the dressing over each oyster, then top each with finely chopped chives.