The Thrifty Cookbook: 476 Ways to Eat Well With Leftovers Read Online Free PDF Page A

ramekin. Add a few berries, if you like, or a topping of soft brown sugar, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until set. Allow to cool, then set aside for a solitary lunchtime pudding.

Hellmann’s is great, but fresh mayonnaise has its particular appeal and making it really isn’t complicated. You can pep it up with all sorts of chopped ingredients – garlic, herbs, cornichons, anchovies, capers and the like – to go with steak, fish, salads or sandwiches. Think of a tarragon mayo with cold chicken, dill mayo with cold salmon or caper mayo with cold boiled ham. As any Belgian knows, garlic mayonnaise is pure luxury with chips or spooned over boiled potatoes.
I use a food processor, which is easier, though you can do it by hand in a bowl with a whisk or wooden spoon. Go slow with your pouring hand.
The quantities below make a generous amount for sandwiches and salads; the mayonnaise will keep in the fridge, covered, for 3 days.
        
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon mustard (English or Dijon )
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
a pinch of salt (unless you are adding anchovies, gherkins or capers )
250ml basic olive or groundnut oil (in other words, oil without a strong taste )
black pepper
Whiz together the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, pour in the oil in a very slow, steady stream (if you are making the mayonnaise by hand you will need to add it, almost literally, drop by drop). Pour too fast and the oil and egg will separate. What you want is for them to emulsify into a fairly thick, creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
If by chance the mayonnaise does separate, take a clean bowl and whisk another egg yolk in it. Then add the separated mixture a drop at a time, whisking vigorously as you go. It should all come back together.

Hollandaise is very similar to mayonnaise but you make it in two stages to produce a more robust sauce that is served tepid – a perfect partner for artichokes, spinach, poached eggs and leftover fish or fishcakes. Rich with egg yolks, this sauce will curdle if it is over-heated. If this happens, turn down the heat and make sure the hot water in the pan is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Whisk a single egg yolk in a cup and add it slowly to the original mixture, whisking all the time – with luck, it should come back together again.
Hollandaise will keep in the fridge, covered, for 3 days.
Serves 4 generously
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 small shallot, very finely chopped
5 black peppercorns
3 large egg yolks
175g unsalted butter, diced
salt and pepper
Put the vinegar, water, lemon juice, shallot and peppercorns in a small pan and bring to a bare simmer. Continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced to about a tablespoon (this can happen quite fast, so don’t pick up the phone at this stage). Strain into a small bowl and leave to cool completely.
In a glass or china bowl, whisk the egg yolks until really fluffy, using an electric beater or rotary whisk. Add the vinegar reduction. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water – make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Then simply add the butter in small chunks, whisking as you go. The two should emulsify into a thickish cream, just like mayonnaise. Keep whisking as you add the butter until it is all used up. Season to taste. You can keep the sauce in a warm place for half an hour or so. If you put a circle of greaseproof paper on the top, any skin that’s formed will lift off with the paper when you’re ready to serve.

This is one of those sauces that take less than 10 minutes to prepare and just half an hour to cook. It soon becomes a household staple. I make it in bulk and freeze it in relatively small portions – enough for two, say – so that I can whip it out for leftover suppers, especially pasta, pizzas, meat or fish balls, casseroles and bakes. It’s a truly basic recipe, so feel free to tinker with the