Here’s another Reader Request, this time from Charlene Skehan, who keeps tabs on the Manly Kitchen fan page over on Facebook. (If you haven’t done so already, please visit the page and LIKE it!) Anyhoo… Charlene loves mayo and would like to know how to make her own. Personally, I think it’s a great idea, and I’m sort of wondering why I never did this before.
Charlene, I want you to know the reason it took so long to fill your request is that before I could do so, I had to learn how to make this stuff!! I’m reminded of the story of Gandhi and the angry mother.
Gandhi’s hanging out one day, all peaceful and everything, and an angry mom stomps up to him, dragging her child along behind her. In a shrill voice she demands that he tell her son to stop eating sugar. Gandhi quietly and politely tells her to bring her son back in a week. Not happy about it, but knowing there’s nothing she can do, the mom does as Gandhi asks.
A week later, here the angry mom comes again, dragging her son like a sack of rice. Gandhi looks down at the boy and quietly says, “stop eating sugar.”
Well, of course the mom is furious now. “Why couldn’t you just tell him that last week?” she demands.
Gandhi gazes at her for a moment, then quietly says, “because a week ago, I was eating sugar.”
So… two weeks ago, I had never made my own mayo. Today, I’m going to show you how.
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar
1-1/2 cups olive oil
Optional:
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon sugar
pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions:
Crack eggs and separate yolks and put in blender. Don’t worry if there’s a bit of egg white in there; some recipes call for the whole egg, so you won’t destroy anything if you include a bit of egg white.
Add any optional ingredients you’re going to use. I’ve tried many recipes, and I prefer adding all of the optional ingredients.
Place the top on the blender and turn on HIGH. Blend for 20 seconds, then remove the “pour hole” cover… that little thing in the middle of the top. Take that off. Now, in a slow stream, add your olive oil. Go slow… this is the trick to smooth mayo. Don’t just dump it all in there at once, or you might was well throw everything out and start all over.
When the egg and oil are completely incorporated and creamy, add the lemon juice or vinegar and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds.
Your mayo should be nice and creamy. If it’s a bit thin, don’t worry; it will firm up as it cools in the fridge. If it’s really thin, you can add a bit more oil and continue to blend. If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of warm water.
Scrape the mayo out of the blender into a container with a tight seal.
Slather some on your sandwich and enjoy!
OBLIGATORY LEGAL STUFF – This recipe uses raw egg. About 1 in 20,000 eggs may have salmonella and may be dangerous to consume. People who may be at risk include children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with a compromised immune system. To further reduce the risk, use only fresh, clean, grade A or AA eggs that have been properly refrigerated. Avoid contact between the shell and the yolk. If you prefer, you can use egg substitutes or pasteurized egg yolks.
As I mentioned, some recipes call for the whole egg. Feel free to do it just like that with this recipe.
Homemade mayo will instantly upgrade any sandwich, but you haven’t lived until you’ve had it on a tomato sandwich. Also, if you use this for tuna salad, Poseiden, the King of the Sea himself, is going to kiss you!
Have fun, and make sure you come back to tell me how it went. And, of course, remember to:
Play with your food!
Lane
Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.