- I should make it at home
- It would have far less salt.
- It would be creamy and not leave a coated feeling on my tongue.
I have a great mayonnaise recipe that I cut from the New York Times years ago. It is 5 ingredients that almost every kitchen has plus one 'mystery guest'... the ingredient that makes it emulsify every time! It is really quite simple, only takes about 5 minutes and it will make anything you make with it come up to the next level of culinary delight.
So let's start... I mix egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, salt, oil and WATER! (the mystery guest)
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh is best of course)
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- A pinch of good quality fine grain sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of cold water
- 3/4 cup of neutral flavored oil (like light olive oil, grapeseed oil, walnut or sweet almond oil)
- I choose to use my small cuisinart
- Sturdy wire whisk to use in a Bowl (with high sides to prevent splashes)
- In the bowl of the cuisinart whip together the egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, salt and cold water.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle, drop by drop, a small bit of oil until mayonnaise is thick and oil is incorporated. Then I add the rest of the oil in a thin stream.This works best if you double the recipe amounts, but since there is no preservative I just make a small amount at a time.
- Store your homemade mayonnaise in the fridge in a covered container for 3 days to a week.
Tips for Making Mayonnaise
- Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs will often result in mayonnaise that does not thicken.
- Always add the lemon juice first. Lemon juice helps breakdown the protein in the egg yolks so they emulsify better. Egg yolks contain a natural emulsifier — lecithin — which helps thicken sauces and bind ingredients.
- Start with a VERY slow stream of oil. A few drops at a time is best until you notice the mayonnaise starting to thicken. Once it has started to thicken you can pour the oil in a little quicker.
- Season the mayonnaise with good quality sea salt and add only a tiny pinch at a time. Mayonnaise can become too salty very easily.
- Preferably use fresh squeezed lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice can give your mayonnaise a funny flavor.
After I posted this I thought... I should add some alternatives, open people's minds to creating something unique to them. Here are a few yummy options:
Garlic Aioli
Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic and mash with a pinch of salt until it becomes a paste. Mix with egg yolk before adding the oil. Substitute extra virgin olive oil for at least half the neutral oil.
Rouille
Combine a large pinch of crumbled saffron threads with 2 teaspoons of boiling water. Let this cool completely. Whisk saffron water with 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of cayenne. Whisk constantly, dribble in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and a 1/4 cup neutral oil until all is think and the oil is incorporated.
This is a spicy sauce that pairs well with fish. The most common way to use it is to accompany Bouillabaisse.
Lime Pickle Mayo
Whisk 2 tablespoons finely chopped lime pickle at the end (this can be found in Middle Eastern or Asian markets).
A lime pickle is made by salting and fermenting limes with chiles and spices, lime pickle is fiery, tangy, and crazy-flavorful. You can fold it into mayo for hopped-up sandwiches, serve it with braised meats, or add some to cooked beans. And of course you can bee creative and find a new place to use it.
Bon Appetit