Recent food restrictions have me scrambling to satisfy my complicated taste buds with a limited supply of tasty options! I’m having to pause and re-think normal condiment options like mayonnaise, as I am apparently allergic to chicken eggs. BUT not duck eggs! I’m so thankful that my sister has a flock of chickens that includes a resident duck! I CAN eat potatoes and onions, so while scoping my options at Whole Foods yesterday, my mind wandered to the beaches of Spain and the fabulousness that is a Spanish Tortilla…. Spaniards serve up their tapas with aoli and who knew that when I explored making my own mayo ala duck eggs, that I would stumble on a seemingly easy aoli option?
I say seemingly easy as I am a notorious direction skipper, and the slop in the blender after my first attempt at making this delicious condiment found me glancing back for a quick recheck. For the record, when the recipe says “add olive oil several drops at a time” it DOESN’T mean dump in the entire 3/4 cup all at once! This leaves you with a mayo milkshake. Eew!
I really love fresh garlic, so I add double what the recipe calls for. You can opt to not add garlic and have this be a simple mayo. Remember it is “good” for only a couple of days, so don’t plan on storing this for weeks in your fridge. HOWEVER, once you taste it, you won’t need to worry about shelf life as it will be GONZO!
AHA! Aoli!
- 1 large duck egg yolk (nothing wrong with using chicken egg here)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fancy-style mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste (I also added pepper)
- 3/4 cup olive oil, divided into 1/4 and 1/2 cup portions
- 1-3 cloves chopped fresh garlic (do NOT use powdered)
I used my fantastic new blender, but you could also use a small food processor or whisk by hand….
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in blender for 30 seconds. Run blender on low and using a small spoon, mix a few drops of olive oil into the egg mixture. Continue adding oil over 3-4 minutes. Keep blender running and begin adding the remaining oil in a steady stream until all incorporated. Add chopped garlic. Continue blending for 4-8 minutes, until thick.
Cover and chill. I wanted to eat mine immediately, so I put 2 tablespoons full in the freezer.
I’m REALLY looking forward to my freshly steamed artichoke and aoli for lunch today! Who said eating to avoid Toxic Food Syndrome can’t be enjoyable!? Not ME!!
American Spanish Tortilla (omelet)
*My wonderful British sister-in-law, Sally, gave me Delia’s “How to Cook, Book 1″ as a wedding gift 13 years ago. I think she was hoping that I would embrace some English recipes and charm the socks off Ian. I’ve tried many of the egg and potato recipes as they provide a very interesting twist on the way Americans cook.
This is my favorite! I first at tapas and Spanish Tortilla in the quaint city of Chester, England. I have such fond memories of that first night with all my in-laws, laughing and drinking wine! I found tapas to be amazing and when we lived briefly in Chester, we frequented that restaurant and took several trips to Spain so I could enjoy true tapas!
Don’t be intimidated by making this recipe. Follow the instructions to a tee the first time, then go nutty and experiment! With the exception of the flip and possibly burning the bottom – there is really no way to mess this up! ENJOY!
1 medium onion- 3-4 yellow or red potatoes
- 3-4 T olive oil
- 4-5 eggs
- freshly grated cheese if desired
- other non-traditional ingredient options: cooked green chiles, ham, chorizo, sweet potatoes, ground chicken, last night’s cooked veggies or meats, etc.
**directions copied straight from Delia, as she says it best! (but I’ve added some notes!)
First of all, peel and cut the onion in half, then thinly slice each half and separate the layers into half-moon shapes. (Delia says to peel the potatoes, but I leave the skins on… who cares what it looks like?! The skins contain health, but make sure you buy organic pots as you don’t want to be eating poisons along with your dinner….) When they are sliced, rub them in a clean tea cloth to get them as dry as possible. *IMPORTANT STEP – if you skip this step, you will have a pan of mushy potatoes, drying them keeps them fluffy!
Next, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the frying pan and, when it’s smoking hot, add the potatoes and onions. Toss them QUICKLY around in the oil to get a good coating, then turn the heat right down to its lowest setting, add a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, put a lid on the frying pan and let the onions and potatoes cook gently for 20 minutes, or until tender. Turn them over halfway through and shake the pan from time to time, as they are not supposed to brown very much but just gently stew in the oil.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a large bowl and, using a fork, whisk them lightly – it’s important not to overbeat them. Finally, add some seasoning. When the onions and potatoes are cooked, quickly transfer them to the eggs in the bowl.
IF YOU ARE ADDING OTHER INGREDIENTS – this is the time to do it!
Put the frying pan back on the heat, add the rest of the oil and turn the heat back up to medium. Then mix the potato and eggs thoroughly before pouring the whole lot into the frying pan and turning the heat down to its lowest setting immediately. Now forget all about French Omelettes and be patient, because it’s going to take 20-25 minutes to cook slowly, uncovered. Every now and then draw the edge in gently with a palette knife (I use a silicone spatula), as this will give it a lovely rounded edge. When there is virtually no liquid egg left on the surface of the omelette, turn it over to cook the other side. To do this, place a flat lid or plate over the pan, carefully invert both so that the omelette is on the lid or plate. DO THIS OVER THE SINK AND HAVE HELP THE 1ST TIME! Put the pan back on the heat and use the palette knife to gently ease the omelette back in. Give it about 2 minutes more, then turn the heat off and leave it for a further 5 minutes to settle. It should then be cooked through but still moist in the centre.
Serve hot or cold (with AOLI & SRIRACHA!), cut in wedges, with a salad and a glass of Rioja – it’s brilliant.
I calculated the calories in my smoothie this morning. I whipped up this amazingly “healthy” treat and was reveling in its tasty greatness when I realized that I didn’t really know its health quotient. I mean, what do I honestly know these days beyond my food allergies and tracking my body’s responses to my culinary creations? I’m consuming more veggies. I’m eating more fresh fruits. I’m feeling great. Doc says I need to up my protein amount and pay attention to fiber intake…. I’m thinking this is a given with my current healthy way of eating, but IS IT? I decided to evaluate just one meal.
