ED PEPPER MAYONNAISE
The next time you are grilling steaks or burgers, add some lightly oiled peppers to the grill. Let them char fairly completely and then follow the usual procedure for steaming, peeling, and seeding them. Cut the cleaned peppers into large strips. Put them into a bowl or crock, top with olive oil, and chill until you're ready to make this simple mayonnaise. (Of course, you could get the grill going early enough to have this mayo with your burgers.)
5 red peppers, roasted, stemmed, seeded, 3 cups Basic Homemade Mayonnaise
and cut into large strips (page 232)
3 jalapeno peppers, roasted, stemmed,
seeded, and cut into large strips
1. Process the peppers in a food processor until well blended. Add the mayonnaise and puree 30 seconds more. Chill. (For a straight chile mayonnaise, omit the red peppers and increase the jalapenos to 6 or 8.)
Aioli is one of the magnificent, simple sauces that make life a better thing. Robust, sunny, and addictive, it goes well with fish, meat, bread, pasta, and of course, vegetables. This can be made in a food processor, but I prefer the mortar.
Makes 2Vz cups
4 or 5 large cloves excellent garlic
1 pinch kosher or sea salt
2 egg yolks
1. 2 cups extra virgin olive oil Warm water to thin 2Уг tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. Put the garlic in a mortar with the salt and pound it to a pulpy smoothness. Add the yolks and work them in.
2. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and beat in the oil, drop by drop. As the emulsion becomes very thick, beat in a little warm water.
3. Add the lemon juice toward the end. Taste and adjust as needed. The result should be like a thick mayonnaise.
Note: A few cloves of finely chopped Roast Garlic (page 200) make a nice addition at the end.
IVOUILLE
Traditionally, this spicy Provencal condiment is the "legal" garnish for bouillabaisse, but you don't have to limit this wonderful concoction to the famed soup of Marseilles. The addition of jalapeno is not classical, but exciting nonetheless.
Makes 1 quart
1 jalapeno 1 red pepper 1 ripe tomato 5 to 8 garlic cloves
A 1-inch piece baguette-style white bread, crust removed
'A cup fish fumet (or water or other stock) Pinch each saffron and cayenne 3 egg yolks
% cup extra virgin olive oil % cup light olive oil
1. Roast the red pepper and the jalapeno, then peel and seed. Roast tomato in the oven, then skin and seed. Finely dice the garlic or crush cloves with a mortar and pestle.
2. Soak the bread in the fumet with the saffron and cayenne until the bread is soft. Squeeze the excess liquid out of the bread.
3. Beat the egg yolks in a mixer until pale and add the bread mixture and garlic. Now slowly add the olive oils, emulsifying them as you would a mayonnaise.
1. 4. Puree the pepper, chile, and tomato and fold into the oil mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Tonnato means tuna. This is basically a mayonnaise, but "tuna mayo" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue and send pleasure alarms through your nervous system, now does it? So let's not anglicize this dish in either name or preparation. Tonnato is most frequently paired with veal to produce the Italian specialty vitello tonnato, but this sauce can be served on many other foods, like swordfish. Or try it on poached chicken or cold pork roast. This can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.
Makes l'/г quarts
1. In an electric mixer or food processor, beat the egg yolks. Add the oil very slowly, adding a bit of stock from time to time to prevent the mixture from breaking. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
2. Chop up tuna, anchovies, and capers, and add them to the liquid. Add stock to somewhat runny consistency.
3. Put tonnato in a bowl, cover, and chill overnight, but bring to room temperature before serving.
Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste % cup lemon juice
6 egg yolks
3 cups olive oil
1 cup Fish Stock (page 244)
12 6
pound cooked tuna meat (iffresh is unavailable, use canned tuna packed in olive oil)
1. anchovy fillets, lightly rinsed tablespoons capers