OMG, Saffron Aioli, what heaven is this?
This is a sensational mayonnaise, especially gorgeous diluted with a little water and drizzled over poached eggs in the morning as a dairy-free substitute for hollandaise, or with poached cod, or smoked haddock, or folded into shredded cooked organic chicken with a sprinkling of toasted almonds for a delicious sandwich filling. What's even better it's foolproof to make and so quickly done you will probably never buy mayonnaise from a supermarket again.
For me, it is sublime with boiled eggs in the morning. Now butter and margarine spreads are forbidden on the Budwig Protocol, butter on toast with my eggs was the one thing I missed and struggled with most. Since I started to make this delicious mayonnaise, morning butter cravings are a thing of the past.
This method of making mayonnaise uses a whole egg, is fast and efficient and more importantly easy to make. You won't curdle the mixture, and once the ingredients are assembled, takes about 15 seconds to make! But you will need a quality stick blender with a tall blender beaker to make it in.
Saffron comes from the stamens of the saffron crocus – three per flower - which have to be harvested by hand first thing in the morning. This makes the spice perhaps the most expensive you can find, but I have always adored its subtle flavour.
Saffron lends itself both to savoury and sweet dishes, though the use of it these days for sweet dishes is less fashionable.
Be careful of your source of saffron, because it is often sold powdered and can often be fake – a mixture of marigold petals and turmeric. The best I have found is Spanish saffron, which is far more affordable and available. My son bought some Kashmiri saffron back from India for me, but I have to say I prefer the Spanish. It is easily available on eBay.
Saffron contains the antioxidant a-crocin, amongst other antioxidants, all of which are important to protect the body from oxidant stress such as cancer. It also contains copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, selenium, and zinc – all exceedingly helpful, and the latter three are important trace minerals in cancer management.
The Nasties in Commercial Mayonnaise
A quick word about commercial mayonnaise. The Budwig Protocol does not allow commercial mayonnaise to be eaten because the quality of the oil (rapeseed oil, for example, is forbidden) can often be compromised and the product has an unnaturally long shelf life, as well as most nut and seed oils being heat extracted which damages the oils. Always use organic, cold-pressed oils. - including sunflower oil. It is a little more difficult to source but essential for this condiment if you are on an anti-CanSur protocol.
Recently, I was checking the ingredients of a 'low fat' mayonnaise, and was shocked. Just take a look at the ingredients above. One ingredient is titanium dioxide! This a white pigment used to make food more appealing (and is also an ingredient in sunscreen). This explains why commercial mayonnaise is so white - when you make your own is has a slight yellow colour from the egg.
When inhaled, titanium dioxide is considered a possible carcinogen. However, whether or not this substance is considered safe for human consumption is irrelevant: do we really need unnecessary chemicals hiding in our food - when its only function is to make food more visually appealing? Titanium dioxide is not a natural ingredient and the body struggles to know what to do with chemicals, often storing them in adipose tissue. So is titanium dioxide used to help sell more product rather than to promote something that is healthy and good for the body? It seems completely backward and a tad cynical.
Potassium sorbate is generally considered safe, but prolonged use can result in allergies. It is an additive used widely in the food industry to stop the growth of mould. However, there are a couple of studies that show potassium sorbate can interfere with our DNA, and be genotoxic to our white blood cells - both of concern with cancer and other degenerative diseases. It also has been shown to combine with Vitamin C to cause damage to DNA. Why even expose yourself to such possibilities?
Calcium Disodium EDTA is generally considered safe, with less than 5% being absorbed by the gut. It is used to promote stability and increase the shelf life of products to which it is added. As always read labels and make informed choices.
However, my Saffron Aioli Mayonnaise is full of natural, healthy ingredients, lovingly and quickly made with a short shelf life. What would you prefer to put in your body?
Oh, and by the way, be sure to keep in the fridge once made. It should keep for up to 2 weeks.
Enjoy.
Shannon Elizabeth x
SAFFRON AIOLI
Makes around 280ml
1 whole fresh organic egg
200 ml organic cold-pressed sunflower oil
50 ml organic olive oil
¼ tsp raw organic honey
1 tsp organic Dijon mustard
2 tbs raw organic cider vinegar
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ tsp saffron filaments, loosely packed
1 small bulb of organic garlic
** 1 cup of Healing Intent
1. Wrap the bulb of garlic in foil and place in an oven heated to 180C and leave for 25 minutes, until soft. Once cooled, carefully remove the softened garlic cloves from the papery skin.
2. Meanwhile put the saffron threads in a small ramekin and with the back of a spoon, break up the filaments until they are powdery. Add half the cider vinegar and leave for at least half an hour for the saffron colour and flavour to develop. I often leave this overnight.
4. Use the tall beaker of a hand-held stick blender and add the whole egg. If the yolk breaks, remove and use for something else. Add the other ingredients – except the saffron - including the garlic cloves. Decant the saffron/vinegar mixture into the beaker, and then swill out the remaining liquid with the other tablespoon of cider vinegar. This way you do not lose any saffron.
5. Making sure the egg stays in the centre of the beaker, place the end of the stick blender directly over the egg, switch on, and slowly withdraw the blender from the beaker, ensuring all the oil is incorporated.
6. This makes quite a thick mayonnaise. When you wish to use the mayonnaise as a substitute for hollandaise sauce, dilute a spoonful with a little boiling water until you get the consistency you want. This is great spooned over poached eggs on a bed of wilted organic spinach.
7. Store in a Kilner jar in the fridge. It should last around 2 weeks.
** Healing Intent: when cooking foods to heal the body it is important to set your intent. The best way to do this is imagine that you are cooking this dish for yourself or for someone you love who is very ill and that this dish is the only thing that will help in their healing. You will find that the way you handle the food will change, and will not only result in a better dish, but you will feel the food actually nourishing your body and spirit.
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