Backyard Chickens and Aioli
Having chickens has been such a labor of love in my life. It isn’t always easy to deal with the day-to-day challenges of raising chickens in a rural area (there are predators galore and we have to be constantly vigilant about their safety), but the pleasure of eating the most vibrantly colored yolks in their freshly laid eggs and having them as sweet yard companions makes it totally worth the work, sacrifices, and hardships. I love how they take our garden scraps, like weeds and old plants, and turn them into deep nourishment for us. It’s also incredibly satisfying to be able to supply our family with this food source, without relying on a grocery store. The best part though, is the homemade mayonnaise that I make from the still-warm eggs that my daughter collects on the morning. Nothing beats it. I like slathering it on a sandwich, dipping roasted potatoes in it, or just eating it by the spoonful, really.
Aioli (adapted from the recipe by Fanny Singer in the book Always Home, one of my favorite books):
Bring an egg up to room temperature by immersing it in hot water for ten minutes (or grab a freshly laid egg from your backyard). Pound 2 cloves of garlic with a big pinch of salt in a mortar until smooth. Set aside. Separate the egg and put the yolk in a medium sized bowl, setting aside the white for another use. Fill a liquid measuring cup with one cup of olive oil. Slowly begin to dribble the olive oil into the yolk as you simultaneous whisk vigorously, you want to do this at a slow drip-by-drip pace for the first quarter cup of olive oil to make sure you’ve got a good emulsion happening. It will begin to thicken and lighten in color. If it becomes too thick to whisk, add a few drops of warm water. Continue whisking until the entire cup of olive oil is used, thinning with water as many times as necessary. Add a few drops of lemon juice and the smooth garlic paste you made earlier and taste. Add more salt or lemon if it needs it. Enjoy it on everything. It lasts for days in the fridge.
