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Mayonnaise

Homemade mayonnaise is very easy to do; you will need only egg, oil, lemon juice, and salt. A few extra ingredients can transform a basic mayonnaise into a very special sauce.

Ingredients

1⁄2 t salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Put egg yolks into a bowl or jar. Beat for a 1-2 minutes until smooth.
  2. Add salt, and lemon juice.
  3. Add the oil, a drop at a time, beating even more quickly until the mayonnaise is very thick.
  4. You can stop for a minute and add any seasonings, if used, now.
  5. Add the rest of the oil, a tablespoon at a time now until finished.
  6. Season to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate.
Total time
15 minutes
Cooking time
0
Preparation time
15
Yield
6 servings

Notes

As all the ingredients should be at the same temperature, gather all the ingredients and utensils out of the fridge one hour before preparing the mayonnaise.

A hand held blender makes this task very easy, as you can use it in smaller containers and prepare only the amount you need. The only trick to get the mayonnaise to thicken is to have all ingredients at the same temperature, that is room temperature.

Substitute 2 egg yolks by 1 whole egg; the mayonnaise will be lighter.

Substitute 1 Tbs lemon juice with 1 Tbs vinegar or 1 Tbs yogurt - yogurt is also acid and can be used, remember to take it out of the fridge.

Olive oil has a very definite taste, substitute olive oil with the same amount of sunflower oil for a more subtle flavor. Try other vegetable oil.

When using a hand blender, you can put egg, salt and juice together from the beginning. If using a hand held blender, don''t lift it until the mayonnaise has started to thicken.

If the mayonnaise thickens too much, add a little water. Also, adding 1 Tbs boiling water after all the oil has been added will prevent separation.

Mayonnaise by other name

Mouselinne - 2 egg whites - beat egg whites to snow peak point and mix with mayonnaise. - Mayonnaise becomes light and fluffy. Serve with cold or slightly cooked vegetables

Chantilly - 1/2 lemon, 3 Tbs cream, whipped without sugar - Add lemon and incorporate whipped cream, mix well. - Great with cold asparagus, steamed or boiled

Remoulade - 1 Tbs chopped parsley, 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed, 1 tsp chopped capers, 2 small gherkins, finely chopped, 1/2 tsp anchovy paste - Mix all the ingredients with the finished mayonnaise, refrigerate and serve. - Goes well with grilled fish, cold meats, specially pork, prawns or shrimp, and smoked salmon

Aioli - 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed - if doing mayonnaise by hand, puree garlic with a little salt until smooth and mix with the egg yolks before adding the oil. Once thickened, add lemon juice and salt to taste. If using a hand held blender, just add the peeled cloves and blend, this is a mock aioli, but also very good. - Serve with boiled or baked potatoes, boiled vegetables, roasted or boiled beef, hard boiled eggs, white rice, or rice cooked with fish. In Spain, aioli is served with arroz a banda and it also enlivens a Spanish omelet

Green mayonnaise - 1/4 lb fresh spinach, 1 bunch watercress, 1 Tbs parsley, a little fresh tarragon - Boil all green leaves for 5-6 minutes, drain all liquid, puree and add to mayonnaise. - Serve with salmon and trout

Gribiche - substitute 2 hard boiled egg yolks, passed through the sieve, for the 2 fresh ones, use only 2/3 cup oil; 1 Tsp French mustard, 2 hard boiled egg whites chopped - Prepare as the basic mayonnaise, season with French mustard in step 4, and add the chopped hard boiled egg whites at the end. - Serve with cold fish and seafood, also excellent with cold boiled or raw vegetables

Tartar sauce - 2 hard boiled egg yolks 1 raw yolk, 1 tsp green or spring onions, finely chopped, 1 tsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp chopped capers, and 1 small gherkin - Pass the hard boiled egg yolks through the sieve and prepare the mayonnaise with them and the raw egg yolk. Add the rest of ingredients at the end. - Serve with grilled or fried fish, cold meats, specially beef or chicken.

Mock tartar sauce - 1 Tbs chopped capers, 1-2 small gherkin, finely chopped - prepare a basic mayonnaise and add chopped ingredients at the end. - Serve as per tartar sauce, with hard boiled eggs, boiled or steamed vegetables, cold turkey or chicken and other deli meats

Cocktail sauce - 1 Tbs ketchup, 1 Tbs brandy, 1 Tbs orange juice - Prepare a basic mayonnaise and add the condiments once it has thicken; blend and add rest of the oil. - Serve with fish and seafood, steamed or grilled, chicken or pasta salads

Andalusian sauce - 2 Tbs pitted green olives, finely chopped - Prepare a basic mayonnaise and add the olives at the end. - Serve with hamburgers and grilled meats

Choron sauce - 1/2 roasted red pepper, peeled and de-seeded, pureed, 1/2 roasted red pepper, chopped - prepare a basic mayonnaise, add the roasted once it has thickened and blend, finish adding oil. Add the chopped roasted pepper at the end. - Serve with grilled or fried fish.

Source

Spanish cuisine

Will it keep?

As the ingredients given are really a minimum, it is easy to prepare more mayonnaise than you need. Hand made mayonnaise will keep for a week in the fridge or in a very cool pantry. Mayonnaise prepared with a blender will keep a bit longer. Don''t stir cold mayonnaise, the ingredients could separate; only stir when it''s back to room temperature again.

Mayonnaise does not freeze well, the ingredients always separate when defrosted.

Flavoring mayonnaise

Once past the moment of danger, you can flavor the mayonnaise. You can experiment with flavors to your hearts content.

Add 1/2 tsp dry mustard and 1/2 sugar for a very French touch.

Mayonnaise aux fines herbes - add 1 Tbs of fresh chopped parsley, chervil, tarragon, basil, or any mix of two or three of them, or add all of them. Remember, no more than 1 Tbs total and only fresh herbs.

Curried mayonnaise - add 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp finely grated onion, 1 tsp sweet pickle, and a dash cayenne pepper. You can use curry paste as curry paste blends better than curry powder, add up to 1 Tbs of your favorite curry paste to the basic mayonnaise for a delicious sauce to accompany chicken and turkey salads.

Mediterranean flavor - add 1 tsp of finely chopped, gherkins, capers or anchovies.

Use half lemon, half orange juice to prepare the mayonnaise. Ideal with steamed asparagus or artichokes. Add up to 1 Tbs orange juice, or grated citrus peel to the mayonnaise; the flavor of the fruit is barely noticeable, but the mayonnaise is different.

Whipped cream gives a light touch to the mayonnaise, no more than 3 Tbs, please.

Swedish mayonnaise - Add 1-3 Tbs unsweetened applesauce and 1 Tbs horseradish sauce. Alternatively, add 1 small apple, peeled, cored and grated, and 1 radish, peeled and grated. - Serve with cold meats and smoked meats or fish.