The classic, the modern & the love child.
Let me here you say ayy ooh (li)
Hi, hi, hi, and welcome, the theme of today is classics, well, kind of. I want to show you that classics are classics for a reason, they give structure and basic technique. But also classics are fun to play with and just because it’s a classic doesn’t mean it always has to be. Finally, sometimes mixing the two together makes something entirely different, and that’s good too. Like, really good.
The classic, Aioli -
If we wanted to be super accurate about it, in most Mediterranean cultures, aioli refers very specifically to a sauce made from olive oil that has been emulsified into mashed garlic, usually with a mortar and pestle - and that's it (well, salt too). A true vampire-repelling emulsion with no egg yolk or acid in sight. It’s not often you find this traditional version and if you do, it’s the Middle Eastern variety, Toum. Nowadays, aioli is pretty much synonymous with mayonnaise flavored generously with garlic. Which is what we’re going to make!
There are a lot of ‘hacks’ for making aioli. I’ve seen it made with an emersion blender, a food processor, a nutribullet and even a thermomix. I’m not doubting that it’s easier but I personally love the satisfaction of watching the bright yellow egg yolk turn into a thick, luscious, garlicky emulsion. I also feel like it’s one of those kitchen classics that everyone should just know how to do. The technique of emulsification can be translated into many different recipes, from hollandaise to dressings and even mousses.
Also, once you’ve nailed this, it’s surprising how often you can look like a boss, casually whipping one up in that holiday Airbnb kitchen that seems to have 15 mixing bowls but no sharp knives, tongs, or electrical equipment.
The modern, Potato crisp tortilla -
The Spanish Tortilla, a fluffy potato omelette cooked on both sides, is among Spain's signature dishes. This fun twist on the unintentionally ‘political’ dish (think cream in carbonara or pineapple on pizza), was invented by Catalan chef, Ferran Adria. Heard of El Bulli? yeah, that’s this guy.
Known for being playful, open-minded, and curious, he took the classic tortilla and modernised it for the home cook. By replacing the slow cooking of thinly sliced potatoes with a bag of crisps, he created this new version that I think still maintains the integrity of the original. It’s also pretty fun to dump a bag of crisps into some egg and end up with something this delicious.
It does make me think though, why stop here? Normally a Spanish tortilla has onion in it. What would happen if you used sour cream and onion chips? Or those fancy truffle chips people love? Honestly, it sounds like a vibe to me. But I digress, below we stick with the (modern) original.
The love child, Bocadillo de tortilla -
When I was road-tripping through Spain (la de da, I know) one of my favourite things to grab as a snack was a bocadillo de tortilla which literally translates to ‘tortilla snack’. It typically consists of a thick slice of the quintessential Spanish tortilla nestled between two slices of bread. So, like, potato, in egg, in bread. Heaven.
Of the many I had, the best was thick slices of gooey tortilla, in a rustic, crusty, chewy baguette, topped with a thick smear of garlicky mayonnaise. With a cold beer in the hot, hot, sun… it’s chef's kiss.
Aioli
As I’ve said above, there are a million recipes for aioli. In order to remember it, I’ve simplified it as much as I can, one of everything. And, we’re using good old muscle power to bring this together. It seems taxing but in reality, it should only take a couple of minutes.
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk
1 garlic clove - very finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup oil - I like 50:50 olive oil and vegetable oil
1 tsp vinegar, plus extra if needed
S&P
Get yourself set up. Place a medium-sized bowl on top of a tea towel, this helps it to stay in place. Get a sturdy whisk. Mix your oil in a vessel that has a spout or nozzle. Swing your arms around a couple of times to warm up.
Add the egg yolk, garlic clove, Dijon and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Whisk vigorously so it all comes together, 30 secs.
Now slowly start adding your oil in a steady stream while continuing to whisk. You can stop whisking at any time to take a break but if you do, stop adding oil too. The egg mixture will thicken up as you add the oil.
Once you’ve added half the oil, add ½ tsp of the vinegar. This will thin it out a bit and make it a bit easier to whisk. Whisk that all together.
Continue adding the oil in a steady stream (you can speed it up a bit here as your emulsification should be pretty stable) and whisking until you’ve used all the oil.
Add the remaining ½ tsp of vinegar, another good pinch of salt and pepper, and whisk one final time.
Taste it, it should be silky, thick, and have a good hum of garlic and vinegar. Add more vinegar if you’d like it a bit brighter.
Potato crisp tortilla
A couple of things to note here, firstly, the crisps. I’ve used many different kinds over the years and all work, but the best are thinly sliced ones. It seems like a lot of crisps, but once mixed with the egg, they deflate a lot. Also, I don’t season the egg as I find you get enough salt from the crisps. Lastly, I like a little bit of colour on my tortilla so push it a bit further than is traditional, but we’re not being traditional anyway.
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 packet (140g) of salted crisps - I like the thin-cut ones
¼ cup full cream milk
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Lemon
Beat the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Tip the whole packet of crisps into the egg mixture and mix together gently so all the crisps are covered. Leave to sit for 10 minutes.
Heat a small-medium-sized nonstick pan over medium heat. Add ½ Tbsp of olive oil and pour in the egg mixture. Tilt the pan and using a spatula, gently pull the egg towards the centre of the pan. Letting the lesser cooked egg seep into that space. Do that a couple of times and when the egg’s starting to set, turn the heat to low and flatten the top with the spatula.
Shake the pan slightly and when the bottom of the egg has set, place a large dinner plate over the top and, using a tea towel to grip the frying pan handle, flip the tortilla over onto the plate. Add the remaining ½ Tbsp olive oil to the pan and slide the tortilla back into the pan. Tuck in the sides with the spatula and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Slide the tortilla out onto a plate and let sit for a minute to rest.
To serve, slice into four even wedges, scoop a generous spoon of aioli on the top, and add a cheek of lemon.
Bocadillo de tortilla
You can eat this warm, room temperature, or even cold. The only thing I will be fussy about is that you use fresh bread. It makes a big difference.
Ingredients:
1 French stick
1 potato crisp tortilla
1 batch of aioli
You don’t need me to tell you how to do this but…
Slice the French stick into four, then slice lengthways to open for filling. Cut each quarter of the tortilla in two and add to the French stick. Smear with aioli. Lift, tilt your head sideways and take the biggest bite you can.
Sides:
Lots of places in Tāmaki Makaurau do a drink and bowl of fries well but there’s just something about Beau (maybe it’s for nostalgic reasons). The fries are SO crispy and the wines are always interesting. Also, one of the few cute spots open for Sunday lunch - that’s not brunch.
At the other end of the motu, Wellington Sourdough makes an insane potato loaf and the best fruit bread around. Go to Customs for a thick boy slice with butter. Just don’t ask what they do with all the crusts.
I use my mandoline slicer every week. You can get super expensive fancy ones but my favourite is still the $3.50 one from Daiso. Great for cutting potatoes for gratin.
These are the truffle chips I was talking about.
That’s it, that’s all.
Rosie