Whicch condiment is best?

[notyou2]

dulse flakes on a garden salad is really good. http://www.oceansbestproduce.com/recipe.html

[Tiggy D Amour]

Salt. It makes things taste nicer and stops you from dying.

Ketchup doesn't stop you from dying does it? No, course it doesn't. Unless you squirt it into the eyes of an attacking bear.

[john9blue]

I think we can all agree that ketchup is the king of condiments... or "catsup" if you prefer, which I guess is an British spelling, because it's funny...

[jonesthecurl]

Except for that bear.

[2dimes]

Brown sauce then?

[Serbia]

BEER!!!

[b.k. barunt]

Except for that bear.

Where's that recipe for mayo?


Honibaz

[jonesthecurl]

Except for that bear.

Where's that recipe for mayo?


Honibaz

Currently busy cooking - will post recipe later.

[notyou2]

Ice cubes are the best condiment, and the recipe is easy.

[jonesthecurl]

Except for that bear.

Where's that recipe for mayo?


Honibaz

Currently busy cooking - will post recipe later.

OK:this'll make you just over an English pint (20 fl oz). It contains raw egg yolk, so don't feed it to pregnant women or the elderly and infirm.

MAYONNAISE, JONESTHECURL STYLE

Take 4 egg yolks, and (in a refridgerated bowl)break em up and stir in a pinch of salt, and some mustard. Use a wooden spoon.

(A word about the mustard: if you are using mustard from a jar, there should be about a teaspoon.Dijon works well, English slightly better. Personally I like to use fresh-ground mustard seeds, but then you need only about half a teaspoon).

Now add 20 fluid ounces of oil.
( A word about the oil - you should experiment to see which you like best. Do Not use all Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. It will cost you several limbs, and the taste is overwhelming. Standard Olive oil is good (you can always add EVOO for the last ounce or so to boost the taste), Sunflower works well, Rapeseed/Canola not tasty enough for my money.)

At the beginning, add it literally a drop at a time. Beat it until the oil/egg mixture is a single consistency. After a little while you can add a bit more at a time. Once you are up to around 4 oz, ditch the wooden spoon and get out your whisk. (I use a stick whisk (a wire frame with a springy spiral-type thing on the end).

Incidentally, I strongly advice against using anything electrical for this - the whisk moves too fast, generates heat, and actually cooks the egg a bit.

Once you're up to about 10 ounces, beat in a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a little lemon zest.

You need a little vinegar at this point.
(A word about the vinegar: what you use depends again on personal taste. I love to use white balsamic, but cider vinegar works too as does white wine vinegar. The cheapest alternative is distilled white vinegar, and that works perfectly well).

From now until the end of the whisking alternate a dollop of oil and a drop of vinegar. You should use about 2 talblespons of vinegar altogether.

The mixture should be smooth and thick (much like me really) by the end of this process.

Taste it and add a coupla grinds of pepper plus some more salt if it needs it (no more than a pinch or two).

You now have perfect home-made mayo. It has only salt and vinegar as preservatives, but it'll keep for maybe three or four days in the fridge. I don't know, truly: it never lasts that long.


To make the perfect potato salad, take about three ounces of the mayo, add a teaspoon of pureed garlic.
Boil two pounds of potatoes (small and waxy rather than large or floury - In the US I use "fingerling" potatoes, back in the UK I favoured Jersey Royals) until they are cooked through but not falling apart*), chop two scallions/spring onions, including all the bulb and the green bit(but not the roots), and mix it all up with a large pinch of dried mint (you can use fresh, but only if you expect it all to be eaten within the hour - after that the fresh mint wilts and makes it look a bit sad). And, uh, that's it.


*an unhealthy, but delicious possibility is to use bigger potatoes, add LOTS of salt to the water - about four tablespoons, and let the potatoes cook for a long while at a low heat until most of the water evaporates. Drain, and return the potatoes to the heat until they're dry. They will have little crystals of salt all over them. I was inspired to this one by the Canary Islands speciality "Papas Aragudas" or "Old Lady Potatoes" (so called because they go wrinkly), which are usually served with a choice of spicy green and red salsas - but I discovered they go great in a potato salad too.

Y'know, it's not hard to get me going on about food...

[b.k. barunt]

Looks interesting. I'll try it this week and let you know how it comes out.


Honibaz

[Juan_Bottom]

OK:this'll make you just over an English pint (20 fl oz). It contains raw egg yolk, so don't feed it to pregnant women or the elderly and infirm.

FYI, I use pasteurized egg yolks as a substitute. It's right next to the eggs at my local grocery. I've tried foods with TOFU as a substitute, and the food tasted alright... though I dunno about mayo made with TOFU ... I'm sure Google would have other ideas but I'm that lazy.

[Juan_Bottom]

OK:this'll make you just over an English pint (20 fl oz). It contains raw egg yolk, so don't feed it to pregnant women or the elderly and infirm.

FYI, I use pasteurized egg yolks as a substitute. It's right next to the eggs at my local grocery. I've tried foods with TOFU as a substitute at a "vegetarian's" house, and the food tasted ok... though I dunno about mayo made with TOFU ... I'm sure Google would have other ideas but I'm that lazy.

[72o]

You can go through 20 ounces of mayo in less than 3 or 4 days?

[jonesthecurl]

Home-made, yes.

Having said that, I don't make this stuff all the time. If I'm not about to make something like a potato salad, I won't be making it.
You can garuantee the kids school-lunch sandwiches will have mayo in for a coupla days after i make it, and so forth.

[2dimes]

Have you ever eaten it too late and rolfed like Linda Blair?

[tzor]

A condiment is sauce, or seasoning added to food to impart a particular flavour or to complement the dish. Often pungent in flavour and therefore added in fairly small quantities, popular condiments include salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and sugar.

Usually applied by the diner lunch or breakfast table, condiments generally have the consistency of a thick liquid or paste and are served from a bottle, jar, or bowl. They may also be dry, such as a mixture of herbs and seasonings. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving packets (sachets), like mustard or Ketchup ketchup packets, particularly when supplied with take-out or fast food meals.

Condiments are sometimes added prior to serving, for example a sandwich made with ketchup or mustard. Some condiments are used during cooking to add flavor or texture to the food; for example, barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce all have flavors that can enhance the tastes of a variety of different meats and vegetables.

My vote ... garam masala and even better with a little mayo ... then again I'm odd.

[lgoasklucyl]

While I would say I get more use out of ketchup, Tobasco sauce is by far my favorite condiment.

[2dimes]

While I would say I get more use out of ketchup, Tobasco sauce is by far my favorite condiment.

They go well together, especially on hash browns with eggs.

[Timminz]

Ketchup
Mayo
Salsa
Sour cream
BBQ sauce

not necessarily in that order.

[BigBallinStalin]

While I would say I get more use out of ketchup, Tobasco sauce is by far my favorite condiment.

they're a bit heavy on the vinegar.

I enjoy taking some ketchup, mayonnaise, and some hot sauce, and mixing it together. Easy and quick to make, and 100x better than those three by themselves.