The List

For the past couple of years my enthusiasm for cooking and creating new recipes has waned, and really waned. I hadn’t realized just how apathetic I’d become (after all, it’s my job and I’ve been meeting my obligations)until about two months ago when I started gearing up for a fund-raising luncheon for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and noticed how excited I was about the event — and sort of freaked because it had become bigger than I was comfortable with. Then I found my list of things to cook was growing again. I need to come up with some salad and dressing recipes (yesterday I bought the fixings for a seafood pasta salad and last weekend I made a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette that I’d been thinking about).

I needed more ice cream recipes and invented this rhubarb mousse last weekend and am making some lavender ice cream later today. I’ve been making Mexican/Tex-Mex dishes and I’m pondering something or other with Latin roots using pork. I’ve made notes on a jerk-burger (a hamburger featuring jerk seasoning) and I picked up some golden beets that I need to do something with.

This is particularly delicious on fish, but would also be good on chicken, excellent on a roast pork sandwich, and makes a good dip for crudities.

Last night I had dinner at my parents house and Dad had smoked a half salmon. I’m not sure how he seasoned it (my sister was down for a visit and I paid more attention to her than the food) but he had cooked it perfectly and I’d made an aioli to use as a sauce. However, I went a step beyond tradition and added some smoked hot Spanish paprika. It was amazing. I kept poking my finer in it to taste.

This is particularly delicious on fish, but would also be good on chicken, excellent on a roast pork sandwich, and makes a good dip for crudities.

Paprika Aioli
Makes 1 cup.

1 egg yolk
6 lg. cloves garlic
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 c canola oil
1/2 tsp ground mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp smoked hot Spanish paprika
Salt to taste

Roast the garlic, skin-on, in a small skillet over medium heat until softened and fragrant — turning once or twice to avoid burning. Peel garlic and mince finely in a mini food processor* or blender.

Add egg yolk to food processor* along with lemon juice. Drizzle in oil very slowly until mixture begins to thicken — then you can add oil slightly more quickly — being careful not to break emulsion.

Once all oil is incorporated, add garlic and remaining ingredients, taste, and adjust seasoning.

(*Note: I have Krups mini food processor that I got about 15 years ago. It has about a 12 ounce capacity, but it’s best feature is the top has a small reservoir with two holes in it that adds oil to mayonnaise at exactly the correct rate for emulsifying. This unit is longer made, but if you can find one with a reservoir and drip holes it’s worth buying.)

Try this Paprika Aioli with…
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Grilled Shrimp
Roast Pork Sandwich

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | ingredient | aioli | mayonnaise

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