Ramsons + Mayonnaise + Tuna

I decided to whip up a fresh batch of mayonnaise tonight and am supremely happy I did! Earlier tonight I cut a few slices of Erdélyi Szalonna and toasted some thin slices of bread in the remaining fat because it was so clear and pure I had to do something with it. With the last little bit of the melted fat and the waning bit of heat in the pan I added the last of my fresh ramsons, chopped, and tossed to coat. I then added this to some mayonnaise, tuna, cayenne pepper, and some black pepper. The tang of the fresh mayonnaise with a little extra lemon juice with the garlic-onion taste of the ramsons with the fresh tasting tuna this is a very light and flavorful treat. A very happy meal indeed!

Comfort Food: Mayonnaise!

For many who follow my blog you get it, I like food. So here is a useful culinary tool that has a million uses, you probably have one in your refrigerator right now: the egg. I try to get mine at the Mars tér farmer's market so that they are fresh. One other trait I love about the eggs I've gotten in Hungary is the color: a yellow so deep it's orange.

With an egg at the ready many sauces are at your fingertips, not the least being mayonnaise. One lonely egg yolk, a few drops of water, a pinch of salt, and a touch of lemon juice are the beginning of the emulsion process. Once they are all worked together it will look like this:

Once this has happened adding one drop of oil, sunflower of course, at a time while whisking will start the emulsion. By slowly adding the entire quantity, about a cup per egg yolk, mayonnaise will form before your eyes.

Of course once you have mayonnaise it can be used as a base for other sauces or dressings, or be paired with some leftover meat like chicken or fish. My target was a can of tuna fish sent to me from home. Tuna fish sandwiches are a childhood favorite of mine, but oddly enough this was contradictory of the fact that I hated mayonnaise as a kid. In fact I still do, because I don't have a taste for most mayonnaise on the market, but now that I make my own I don't worry about that anymore.