Mayonnaise, a simple emulsion of egg yolk and oil, is the base for many delicious sauces and dips, as well as being a great spread for sandwiches – and it’s so easy to make! Salt plus acid, in the form of lemon juice or vinegar, help preserve and flavour it. A little mustard (prepared or dried) helps the emulsification and taste too. Mayonnaise is the base recipe for aïoli, skordalia, tartare sauce, sauce Marie Rose (a.k.a. cocktail sauce or Thousand Island dressing), rémoulade, comeback sauce, Alabama white sauce, ranch dressing and many other delicious sauces and dressings. It’s best if eggs are at room temperature when making mayo; I like to use a whole egg as well as an egg yolk as it gives a lighter result and is less wasteful. Don’t worry if your mayonnaise splits (it’s more likely if the eggs are cold) as it can usually be fixed – and I’ll step you through how to do that here. Chefs usually whisk mayonnaise by hand, but I find it easiest to make using a stick blender. You can make a half-quantity of this recipe using 1 whole egg (no egg yolk) and ¾ cup oil, with half the lemon juice, mustard and salt.
Makes about 350ml
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