Thursday, June 10, 2010

Sliders and Rosemary Mayonnaise

I’m not going to lie….a slider is just a burger only pint size.  That doesn’t change the fact that they are  hot, hot, hot right now!  You’ll see them on menus all over town and their tiny stature makes them perfect for those of us who struggle with commitment.  You see when you have a regular sized burger, well…you’re kind of stuck with only the one set of toppings.  With sliders you can top one with some caramelized onions and hot mustard and another with garlic aioli and balsamic soaked cherry tomatoes and just because my mother raised me right, a good old fashioned ketchup, mustard and relish one for good measure.  When sliders first became popular there was a bit of a glitch…sure restaurants and probably Bobby Flay had access to microscopic burger buns but for the rest of us???  Not so much.  Many of us found ourselves trying to construct small buns out of larger buns or using bread and cutting out smaller shapes.  It was a tragic time in the burgers evolution but the bun makers have righted this terrible wrong and now wee burger buns are available to the masses! 



My father was going to be eating these sliders which meant the burgers were to be ‘au natural’.  Translation….salt and pepper.  Pretty boring in my books but he’s a bit of a purist when it comes to beef and considering his role in the whole, you know…contributing to giving me life thing, I figure the least I can do is throw him a bone every once in a while.  Even if it is served on a wee bun.

In light of my culinary shortcomings with this meal, I figured the only redeeming thing to do was to at least make some homemade rosemary mayo. The possibilities really are endless with sliders and you can fully expect to see a post or two throughout the summer featuring these little darlings, only next time Dad's not invited. Kidding Daddio...love you!


Rosemary Mayonnaise

You can use an immersion blender, food processor or standard blender to make mayo but I find the results vary each time.  The only tried and true method for me is a bowl, whisk and good old fashioned arm action.  I like to use olive oil for the health benefits but you can certainly use another good quality oil like grapeseed.

1 egg yolk at room temperature
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary finely chopped

Using any of the methods mentioned above, add the egg yolk, very slowly drizzle in oil whisking vigorously until the egg yolk and oil emulsify (should take 2-3 minutes). Whisk in salt, pepper, lemon juice and rosemary. Remaining mayo can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.




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