First of a New Season

We've been eating new potatoes from the garden for several weeks now but one of the varieties of potato we grow is chosen because we think it makes especially good chips. The variety is British Queen. Potatoes for making chips are usually fully mature and conditioned before use which can mean waiting until September or October before the spuds are fit but we decided to have a go with our just grown and barely legal tubers. It worked surprisingly well.



Making delicious full fat chips is pretty simple, prepare potatoes, make nice chunky chips, cook once in hot oil to cook the flesh through, then remove the chips to drain, reheat the oil and pop them back to crisp and brown. See full instructions here.



With them, because we are on the continent after all, we had real home made vegan mayonnaise.

We've always bought it before, the Plamil version for preference, one or two other less pleasant ready made alternatives but it actually took a post on David Lebovitz's blog to show me how easy it was to make this for ourselves.

You absolutely must have a good quality blender to make this but if you have that essential it's pretty easy. I've made it a couple of times now, the first time using some cereal milk, the second a small pot of soy yoghurt. Both worked just fine, so the liquid you start with isn't too significant, and you could probably experiment with whatever you have to hand. I have used grape seed oil and a mixture of grape seed and olive oils. I think all olive oil would be too strong a flavour for most purposes although if you were making aioli it might work.


80 - 100g chilled cereal milk, soy milk or soya yoghurt
20 ml lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
pinch of white pepper if liked
150g vegetable oil in a small jug with good pouring lip
Salt
Herbs or seasonings to taste


Put the milk liquid, lemon juice and chopped garlic in the blender and give it a 30 second whizz to combine, then with the motor running add the oil very, very slowly through the lid into the blades. Try to add just a few drops at a time to begin with and then a very thin slow stream so that the whole process will take several minutes to add all the oil. The mixture will begin to thicken and may make gloopy explosions as it does so don't be alarmed. When it's thick, stop the motor, scrape the mayonnaise out into a bowl and add salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp. for this quantity), extra chopped herbs and a touch more lemon juice if you like it.

You could also add hot chilli sauce and more garlic to make a rouille type sauce or chopped capers, gherkins and herbs for a sauce tartare. Just use your imagination.

If the worst happens and the mayonnaise fails to thicken, perhaps because you added the oil too quickly, then pour the curdled mess back into the jug. Put 80g of cold milk or yoghurt in the blender and start again, adding the jug contents very very slowly as if it were just oil. This classic rescue formula works, I've done it!