Aye Aye Aïoli!
AN HOMAGE TO YOUR NEW FAVOURITE SAUCE
Aye-yoh-lee. The word just flows, doesn’t it? Like that moment when the olive oil emulsifies with the freshly chopped garlic, leaving you with what is arguably one of the best things to happen to sauce since, well, the invention of the “mother sauces”. In fact, there are some who go so far as to call aïoli the greatest cold sauce of all time. Matter of opinion, obviously, but it really is one of those great all-rounders that goes with almost anything… that goes with garlic. So, isn’t it time to celebrate this Mediterranean marvel?
If you’ve never had the pleasure – and pleasure really is the operative word with anything involving this scintillating sauce – aïoli is essentially a garlicky mayonnaise. It’s made in much the same way as regular mayo, but the big difference (apart from the addition of garlic) is that aïoli is made using olive oil, not canola, so it tends to be heavier.
There’s something so satisfying about making your own aïoli, but unless you have something to prove – to yourself or anyone else – there’s nothing wrong with buying aïoli. But make sure it’s got a good, creamy consistency (it becomes runnier the more time it spends outside the fridge) and a nice, fiery, garlicky kick. Then, the real fun starts…
CHICKEN AND SPINACH ROULADE WITH GARLIC AÏOLI
A playful plate of poultry
TIME: 1 hour | SERVES: 2
Butterfly 2 deboned skinless chicken breasts. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place a layer of fresh baby spinach leaves on top and drizzle with 30 ml lemon juice. Roll the chicken breast into a long cylinder shape and wrap tightly in biodegradable cling film. Make sure the ends of the rolls are tied. Bring a saucepan with water to the boil. Place the chicken rolls into the water and let it simmer for 35 minutes. Take out and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the cling film. Heat a little olive oil in a pan. Slice the chicken into portions and fry the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes. Blanch 50 g shimeji mushrooms in boiling water. Heat some canola oil in a saucepan and deep fry the baby spinach leaves. Drain on a kitchen towel. Arrange the chicken on a serving plate with the mushrooms. Add small drops of Forage and Feast Garlic Aioli to the plate and serve.
PRAWN COCKTAIL WITH SMOKED CHILLI AÏOLI
A retro treat
TIME: 15 minutes | SERVES: 4
Defrost 700 g Queen prawns. Keep 4 prawns in the shell, but devein them. Peel and devein the rest of the prawns. Slice the prawns into bite-sized portions. Heat 30 ml olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the prawns until just cooked. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and let them cool. Sprinkle with 15 ml lemon juice. Add a bottle of 135 g Forage and Feast Smoked Chilli Aïoli and mix. Place the prawns on your serving plate and garnish with micro greens. Garnish with the whole prawn, lemon and black fish roe.
CAULIFLOWER AND TURNIPS WITH GARLIC AÏOLI
TIME: 30 minutes | SERVES: 2
Thinly slice 4 baby turnips with a mandolin slicer. Slice the 6 cauliflower florets into very thin slices. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the cauliflower slices for about 1 minute on each side and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a little canola oil in a saucepan and deep fry the flat parsley until crispy. Arrange the turnip slices on a serving plate and drizzle with a little lemon juice. Season with salt. Arrange the cauliflower on top and dollop each cauliflower with Forage and Feast Garlic Aïoli. Garnish with deep fried parsley.
STEAK TARTARE WITH SMOKED CHILLI AÏOLI
A French affair
TIME: 1 hour | SERVES: 4 (as a starter)
Place a 225 g sirloin steak between enough pieces of kitchen towel to soak up the juices. Leave for 30 minutes. Chop the steak into extremely small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add 5 ml Dijon mustard, 1 finely chopped anchovy fillet, 5 ml tomato sauce, 10 ml Worcestershire sauce, 10 ml Forest and Feast Smoked Chilli Aïoli, 1 finely chopped shallot, 10 ml finely chopped capers, 3 finely chopped baby gherkins and 15 ml finely chopped flat leaf parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Place a cookie cutter on your serving plate. Spoon the tartare into the cookie cutter, pressing lightly to remove the cookie cutter. Garnish with micro herbs.
