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pecuniumSome weeks ago I was at a restaurant and ordered a tuna sandwich. Said sandwich was said to be made with a caper aioli.
It was very good.
So... I decided I had to attempt it.
While visitingakirlu and libertango I gave sardines a try (fish and I are acquainted, but most are not real friends. Salmon should be raw, mackeral is nice, tuna is good, whitefish are tasty; butterflied and broiled, dusted with parmesan and drizzled in butter, trout can be nice... that starts to run out the list. But I read of fish, turbot, Dover Sole in lemon butter, planked shad, and I drool. Frustrating). Sardines, it turns out, are a fish I don't mind. Even sort of like. With practice I might even make them a small staple.
So
Open two tins of tuna, and one of sardines. Drain the oil (never buy such fish in water)
Pulverise some white pepper into this macerate four cloves of garlic with enough capers to make the paste a sort of dirty grey.
One egg yolk.
Add olive oil to the drained oil, until one has half a cup total.
Some pinot grigio vinegar.
The trick to mayonnaise (and aioli is just a thin mayonnaise) is to get the egg and oil incorporated well before one adds the waters. So, beat the yolk into the macerated garlic stuff (this will take more work because the capers are pickled, and the vinegar is water) Traditionally this is all done in a big mortar, I use a bowl and a small swedish whisk.
Add some oil. Add some more. Do this until half the oil is in, and the texture is thickish. Like really heavy hollandaise.
Add some vinegar. Beat like blazes (this is where the work comes in... emulsifying the water and the oil). Add some more. Drizzle in some more oil. Switch from oil to vinegar until all is in.
In the mixer I tossed the sardines, and made them smooth. Add more capers, and the tuna. When all is an even texture, add the aioli.
Spread on bread, and put in a pan, a la grilled cheese.
TK
It was very good.
So... I decided I had to attempt it.
While visiting
akirlu and libertango I gave sardines a try (fish and I are acquainted, but most are not real friends. Salmon should be raw, mackeral is nice, tuna is good, whitefish are tasty; butterflied and broiled, dusted with parmesan and drizzled in butter, trout can be nice... that starts to run out the list. But I read of fish, turbot, Dover Sole in lemon butter, planked shad, and I drool. Frustrating). Sardines, it turns out, are a fish I don't mind. Even sort of like. With practice I might even make them a small staple.So
Open two tins of tuna, and one of sardines. Drain the oil (never buy such fish in water)
Pulverise some white pepper into this macerate four cloves of garlic with enough capers to make the paste a sort of dirty grey.
One egg yolk.
Add olive oil to the drained oil, until one has half a cup total.
Some pinot grigio vinegar.
The trick to mayonnaise (and aioli is just a thin mayonnaise) is to get the egg and oil incorporated well before one adds the waters. So, beat the yolk into the macerated garlic stuff (this will take more work because the capers are pickled, and the vinegar is water) Traditionally this is all done in a big mortar, I use a bowl and a small swedish whisk.
Add some oil. Add some more. Do this until half the oil is in, and the texture is thickish. Like really heavy hollandaise.
Add some vinegar. Beat like blazes (this is where the work comes in... emulsifying the water and the oil). Add some more. Drizzle in some more oil. Switch from oil to vinegar until all is in.
In the mixer I tossed the sardines, and made them smooth. Add more capers, and the tuna. When all is an even texture, add the aioli.
Spread on bread, and put in a pan, a la grilled cheese.
TK
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-30 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-31 08:14 am (UTC)The books all say the better grades of fish get packed in oil. I know tuna in oil (though I have to pay more for it) has more flavor. I don't know if this is the quality of the fish, or the oil.
I suppose I need to get some raw tuna, and can it, one piece in oil, the other in water, and see how they differ.
TK