Mayonnaise

MAYONNAISE

Have you ever had the pleasure of making your own mayonnaise?  Have you ever experienced the delight of eating homemade mayonnaise?  Once you have made it, and eaten it, it is very hard to buy the product from the grocery shelf.  You'll find yourself standing in the aisle, having this little conversation within yourself.  "I need mayo.  Yes, but it only takes a moment to make.  And it's so much better!  But I need a lot.  Then make a lot.  It's so easy".  And you sigh, and walk away without mayo in your buggy.  And inside you feel really good.  You feel the good of knowing you're going to make something really worth eating.

Garlic-Soy Mayonnaise



2 tsp. lemon juice from 1 lemon

kosher salt (always!)

1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard (really? I use a rounded tsp.)

hot pepper sauce (a dash, or a few)

dash Worcestershire sauce

few grinds of black pepper

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (I usually use canola)

Up to this point, this is a basic mayo recipe.  This is all you really need.  But if you like a little more flavor, continue on.

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. honey

1 clove garlic (a really good way to put the garlic in, is to grate it-works like a charm)

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

There are two ways to approach homemade mayonnaise.  The first, uses arm muscle to whip the few ingredients together.  There is definitely  a beauty to watching someone make mayo this way.  If I had someone in my kitchen who enjoyed standing at the counter for 5 minutes and employing arm muscle to accomplish this task, by all means, it would be made this way.  It's super cool.  But more often than not, I'm in a time crunch, and making several things at the same time, so I opt for an easier method.  And that would be my food processer.  :)     First off, juice your lemon.  Then add the ingredients up to the oil.  Turn on processer for about 30 seconds.  The goal is a mixture of a light lemon color.  

           

Now put in your little plastic piece that you use to push down food to be processed.  Before I knew better, I would stand at my machine and slowly pour in the oil.  If you do this to fast, the mayo won't set up right.  Or in otherwords, it will be runny and not thick.  But (glory!) this little plastic piece has a small hole in the bottom of it, and it slowly emits the oil.  So turn on the machine, and pour in your oil.  You won't be able to get it in all at once, so keep adding it.  Then listen.  The mayo will begin to slap on the sides of your bowl.  You want this.  This means thick mayo.  Process a little more after all the oil has been incorporated.  At this point you can add the rest, or just some, of the remaining ingredients. Turn on the machine just till mixed

So there you have it.  Natalie likes to eat this stuff by the spoonful.  It's really that good!      

                Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated