To make mayonnaise, whisk an egg yolk with mustard and a little acid, then drizzle in oil drop by drop, whisking constantly, until it thickens into a pale, glossy emulsion. One yolk carries about a cup of oil.
What is mayonnaise?
Mayonnaise is a cold cousin of hollandaise: an emulsion of egg yolk and oil, held together by the yolk's lecithin and brightened with acid. The magic is mechanical. Whisked in slowly enough, a single yolk can suspend a full cup of oil into something thick and spreadable.
Made at home it tastes nothing like the jar, and it is the parent of a whole family of cold sauces. Add garlic for aioli, pickles and capers for tartar, or mustard and herbs for remoulade. Learn the base and those are minutes away.
What goes in mayonnaise?
- ·1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- ·1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ·1 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- ·1 cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed)
- ·1/4 tsp salt
One yolk to roughly one cup of oil is the limit a single yolk can comfortably hold. The acid and mustard are not just for flavor; they help the emulsion form and stay stable. Going slowly with the oil at the start is what keeps it from breaking.
How do you make mayonnaise?
- Whisk the yolk, mustard, acid, and salt together until smooth and slightly pale.
- Begin adding the oil one drop at a time, whisking hard, until the mixture starts to thicken and hold.
- Once it grips, pour the rest of the oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly.
- Adjust with a few drops of acid or warm water to loosen, and taste for salt.
What should you know before making mayonnaise?
- Use room-temperature ingredients. A cold yolk emulsifies poorly and is quicker to break.
- Go slow at the start. The first drops of oil are where the emulsion is most fragile.
- If it breaks, restart. Whisk a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and stream the broken mayo back in.
- Mind raw egg. Homemade mayo uses raw yolk, so keep it cold and use it within a few days.
Where did mayonnaise come from?
Cold egg emulsions appear in Mrs Beeton's 1861 Book of Household Management and were refined in Fannie Farmer's American cookery a generation later. The technique, oil suspended in yolk, has stayed essentially unchanged since.
Drawn from the public-domain text of Mrs Beeton, Book of Household Management (1861).
What can you make from mayonnaise?
Common questions.
How do you make mayonnaise from scratch?
Whisk an egg yolk with mustard, acid, and salt, then add oil drop by drop until it thickens, then in a thin stream. One yolk holds about a cup of oil.
Why did my mayonnaise break or stay runny?
The oil went in too fast, or the ingredients were too cold. Add oil slowly at the start, and use room-temperature eggs. To fix it, stream the broken sauce into a fresh yolk.
Is homemade mayonnaise safe to eat?
It uses raw egg yolk, so keep it refrigerated and eat it within a few days. If raw egg is a concern, use pasteurized eggs.
What oil is best for mayonnaise?
A neutral oil such as grapeseed or a light olive oil. Strong extra-virgin olive oil can turn bitter when whisked hard, so use it sparingly if at all.
How long does homemade mayonnaise keep?
Three to four days in the fridge in a sealed jar, because of the raw egg. It does not freeze.