And the fun begins...

Who says foodie adventures have to be complicated and expensive? This is The Simple Pan, where we have fun with food, try new recipes and jazz up old ones, exploring interesting ingredients and working on kitchen experiments without emptying our bank accounts or driving anyone to distraction with instructions that require a Cordon Bleu education. Let the fun begin!





Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Garlic Mayonnaise

On the week-end, Grace & I were having serious caesar salad cravings. Since we didn't have any bottled dressing, we had to pull together our own. I've made homemade mayonnaise before, and I've been meaning to try roasting garlic and using it in something, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

For the garlic, I took a whole head and sliced the top off it, keeping it intact and just exposing the cloves inside. I actually did three heads, and saved the other two for later after roasting. I placed them in a baking pan, poured oil over them, covered the pan with tin foil and popped them in the over, at 350 F for about 10 - 15 minutes. I would normally have used olive oil, but I was *gasp* running low on it, so I used canola oil instead. Roasted garlic is a lovely thing. It's soft and sweet, and very mildly garlicky.

I made the mayonnaise in the blender. I put 2 egg yolks, a couple tablespoons of dijon mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper, 4 or 5 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and the roasted garlic, a whole head, each clove squished out of it's skin into the blender. I blended it on medium, and when it was well mixed, I removed the little plastic thingie in the cover of the blender. While the blender was on, I poured a slow drizzled of oil into the blender through the hole in the lid. I used about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of oil.

At this point, magic happens. Yeah, I know it's more like science or chemistry, but I prefer to think of it as magic when the pale yellow egg yolk mixture meets up with the thin stream of oil and turns into a velvety, thick, smooth, garlicky mayonnaise. Heaven in a blender.


I probably should have thinned it out for use in the salad, with a bit of milk or water, but to be honest I didn't think of it until I had dropped a few dollops of it into the lettuce. It still made a lovely dressing, with fresh grated parmesan and croutons. There was lots of the mayonnaise left over. Like I said, magic.

2 comments:

  1. In a blender add: 2 egg yolks

    1 Tbsp anchovies either a paste or whole

    2 tsp warchester sauce

    2 whole garlice cloves, I always add more

    2 tsp tobasco hot sauce

    1/4 cup dejon mustard

    1/2 of a lemon juiced

    1 tsp salt

    1/2 tsp pepper

    2 Tbsp capers

    turn blender on and add through that little hole in the lid because this will splash:

    1 cup of canola oil

    1/2 cup of olive oil

    1/4 cup of balsamic vinagar

    1/4 cup of another vinagar, try not to use plain old vinagar though!!

    start adding oil first in a very slow drizzle and as it thickens add a vinagar slowly to thin then add oil slowly again until it is all blended.....

    then add: 1/2 cup of parm cheese

    and season to taste, this is best if made the day before.......

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  2. The comment above is from my sister, Lori. She is a professional chef, and the best cook I know. Plus she shares recipes. How cool is that? She said that this Caesar salad dressing recipe is from an Italian chef that she once worked with. I can't wait to try it! Thanks, sis!

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