Skip to main content

Homemade Mayonnaise

Having lived there for half a decade, Berkeley is one of my favorite cities in the world, besides Rome and San Francisco anyway.  So, whenever I have the opportunity to go, I do.  Today I had gotten less than half price tickets for a production of "Narnia" at the Julia Morgan Playhouse.  As always, we made a day of it, eating our way across the city.

Before the 11 o'clock curtain, we paused at the Summer Kitchen + Bake Shop in the Elmwood district for a quick snack.  Riley had a slice of carrot cake, Jake chose a wedge of chicken-potato-red pepper quiche, Dylan had a chocolate cupcake with marscarpone frosting, and I ordered egg salad with homemade mayonnaise and fresh chives.  Everything was fabulous.

I am typically not a mayonnaise fan.  In fact, on rare occasion that I order a sandwich, I always request, "no mayo, please."  But I am a sucker for homemade mayonnaise.  Years ago I took a sauces class - from Chef Dave Wells - at WholeFoods.  We learned the five mother sauces, we ate, and we drank.  It was an unforgettable evening.

Homemade mayonnaise is very different from the kind you find on the shelf of a grocery store.  For one, homemade mayo is not white.  It's creamy, almost yellow.  Its flavor is subtle; the mere fact that is has flavor sets it apart from the grocery store variety!

And, thankfully, it's fairly easy to make.  Mayo is an emulsion of oil and egg yolks with a splash of acidity.  I have long since lost my handouts from that cooking class, but I have adapted from a recipe that I found on allrecipes.com.

1 C olive oil or other good-quality oil, such as walnut or sweet almond oil
1 egg yolk
Juice of 1 lemon, or vinegar
A pinch of salt (and pepper, if desired)
Water to thin the mayonnaise

Combine the egg and acid in the bowl, whisking to mix.  You can make mayonnaise in a food processor or by hand, with a mixing bowl and whisk.  The key for either method: add oil very slowly, in a steady stream, while the processor is running or you're whisking vigorously. 

If the mayonnaise starts looking too thick, add enough water to thin it to the consistency you desire.  Add about a teaspoon of water at a time.  When the oil is all mixed in, the mayonnaise should be thick and fluffy, with your whisk forming ribbons through the mixture.

If it never thickened and you're stirring a puddle, chances are you will need to start over. (Or, if you're still partway through the process, you can save the emulsion by adding another egg yolk, whisking vigorously. Add in remaining oil, plus extra for a double recipe.)

Adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper and more acid, if desired.

Comments

  1. This sounds so good! How many days would it be good in the fridge?
    I love your blog...I'm a new follower. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Amelia. I'm not sure how long it keeps. I would say a week.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can only imagine the delicious sandwiches that this will make.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce