Very Thin Fries with Sriracha-Garlic Mayonnaise

Do you make your own mayonnaise?  I do, but it's only been recently.  Why only recently?  Well, I have an unnatural fear of eating anything that contains raw eggs.  However, one day I needed some mayonnaise for a recipe and I was completely out.  I didn't want to run to the store so I made my own.  It was an eye opening experience and now I simply can't go back to the storebought brands.  Homemade mayonnaise is so much better!  It's way easier than you'd ever imagine and you can flavor it up any way you chose. You simply can't go wrong.

I made this batch of mayonnaise for my husband who loves to dip his fries in mayo.  My husband is also a huge fan of sriracha so I added a heaping tablespoon of sriracha to spice it up.  The result was a pefectly balanced mayonnaise.  Not too spicy, just the right amount of heat.  Garlic loves mayonnaise so I left the cloves in.  If you're not a garlic fan you can take the garlic out before blending. 

I served the sriracha-garlic mayonnaise with Tessa's very thin fries.  Tears were shed over the fries.  Big tears.  The kids fought over them, literally.  I ended up doubling the recipe (8 potatoes total) and I still only manged to sneak a few for myself. 

Mayonnaise

Adapted from Apples to Jam by Tessa Kiros

Makes 1 cup

1 cup olive oil (or canola oil) 

(OR  a mixture of canola and olive oil)

1 big garlic clove, peeled and squashed a bit

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

juice of half a lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

For Sriracha Garlic Mayo:  Do not discard the garlic cloves.  Leave them in the mixture and blend.  Add 1 heaping tablespoon of sriracha, and stir/blend.

Put the oils in a bowl with the garlic clove and leave for 15 minutes or so to infuse.  Remove the garlic, if you wish, or if you want extra garlic flavor leave it in.

In a small processor or with a handheld blender, whiz the eggs until they become very thick.  Add the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and whiz together.  With the motor running, add the oil drop by drop, and continue mixing until all the oil has been added and the mixture is thick and fluffy.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Remove mayo to a bowl and stir in one tablespoon of sriracha.  Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to 1 or 2 days.  

 Very Thin Fries

Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Serves 4

4 medium potatoes

canola oil or olive oil, for frying

salt

Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices about 1/4 inch thick, keeping them long.  Cut these into 1/4 inch sticks.  Rinse under cold water and dry thoroughly on paper towels.  

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a cast iron pan.  Place over medium-high heat until the oil is hot.  You will need to fry the potatoes in batches.  Just or minute or so after you have put the fries in the oil, give them a stir with a wooden spoon to make sure none are sticking.  Leave them for a minute or two to crisp up and then give another stir.  Let them fry until they are nice and crisp and lightly golden.  Lift them out into a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.  Transfer them to a clean bowl, scatter with salt and pepper (if desired), and serve at once.

Theme: Some Like it Hot - and Spicy!

Note:  Because homemade mayonnaise contains raw eggs, it's something that needs to be made and used within a day or two.  I reduced the original recipe, which was for 2 cups, down to 1 cup (which is still quite a bit of mayo to use in 2 days).  It is best to make only the amount you can use within that time.