Lemon Aioli & a plate full of Cajun indulgence

So it is the 1st day of October and I am super glad to be back into my own space in Bangalore after a roller coaster of life events . Also , what can be more better than a year that gifts me with a brilliant precursor of a long weekend to herald in my 36th , which I have declared will be spent reading , drinking wine , pampering myself , baking a big big cake and celebrating 36 years of being awesome :) A big thank you to all of you who have waited patiently for the next update on the hungry boy and even checked on me and the missing action over the last two months ! No - we have not disappeared - we were just off on a not so great vacation for a while ....

Peace Resumes at last !

To ease myself through this reboot , I start today with this simple home made decadent Lemon Aioli , which is a winner of a quick dip . I quite honestly find making Mayonnaise at home like making true magic . Aioli is a mayo-based dip packed with the flavors of lemon and I like to 'aioli -fy' it ( if such a term did exist !) more with bits of roasted garlic - which gives it a sharp bite and makes it more robust in nature . While the lemon zest adds the tangy flavor , the lemon juice provides the acidity which helps to balance out the creaminess of the mayo . If you are a garlic fan , you can also spoon in the roasted garlic oil for that extra punch !

Marry this divine Aioli with anything deep fried and you will practically transport yourself into foodie heaven . Also , this is super simple , quick and quite a wonder as you watch the egg emulsify together with the oils and create something as gorgeous as this . I can assure you that once you make this dip fresh at home , you will never ever go for store bought version again .

We consumed it clean with Cajun coated Crispy fried Prawns & a plateful of fries and for once it seems to me that like this will be one hell of a decadent weekend !

So Long ..happy cooking with your soul ...

Things you will need to make the Aioli :

• 1 whole egg ( medium sized and at room temperature )

• 1 / 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 cup olive oil ( You can also use plain vegetable oil )

• Sea salt, to taste

• 01 tsp lemon zest

• 02-03 small cloves of garlic ( Pre-roasted in 01 tsp of oil and chopped finely )

Steps to follow

1. Place the egg in a narrow, tall container.

2. Pour 1/4th cup olive oil and let the contents settle for a moment.

3. Using an immersion blender, blitz the egg -oil mixture until the mayo starts to form. Once you start seeing the emulsification happening ( i.e the liquids will start to thicken up ) gently move the blender up and down and continue to add the remaining oil slowly, until all the oil has emulsified.

4. The texture should be thick and mayo like to touch after in 01- 02 minutes of blitzing

5. Transfer the mayo into a bowl and season with sea salt to taste .

6. Next , slowly stir in the lemon juice , lemon zest and the chopped roasted garlic.

7. Serve this brilliant dip with anything that spells 'deep fried' :)

8. Bon Appetite !

Pro Tip : For anything deep fried , try and elevate it by topping it with a Cajun Spice and make it finger licking good . We make our very own Cajun seasoning at home by spinning lots of paprika, cayenne pepper , garlic powder, pepper and oregano together !