13/07/2006

Pink Grapefruit Mayonnaise

There are a number of recipes for various "aise" sauces - mayonnaise, hollandaise and so on ... but here's one which is a little different and can pass for both mayonnaise (cold) and hollandaise (hot).

Mayonnaise uses oil, while Hollandaise uses butter.

Mayonnaise

Collect two or three egg yolks in a glass mixing bowl.

Add a generous splash of pink grapefruit and whisk briskly with a balloon whisk until lighter and fluffy.

Gradually add avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil) in a constant stream while whisking. You will get a feel for how much oil you need, but the exact ratio does not really matter.

Hollandaise

Collect two or three egg yolks in a glass mixing bowl.

Put a good block of butter in a pan and on a gentle heat. As the butter melts, the solids will drop out leaving clarified butter to pour off, discarding the solids and returning the clarified top to the gentle heat to keep warm. The shortcut here is to use ghee.

Add a generous splash of pink grapefruit and whisk briskly with a balloon whisk until lighter and fluffy.

Over a baines marie (sitting the mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water without the base of the bowl touching the water) and whisking constantly, pour the clarified butter into the mix in a constant stream.

You may need to lift the bowl off the heat every so often to prevent it from turning to custard.

If the Hollandaise becomes too thick, add a teaspoon of water.