homemade mayonnaise

there is a few things you just gotta have in your fridge. the usual suspects such as parmesan cheese, bacon, the obligatory bottle of champagne (you never really know what your day might bring!), the fresh butter, the knob of garlic or ginger, the yoghurt, the heavy cream and glass with pesto. and you need mayonnaise!

without mayonnaise there is no salad sauce. there is no sandwich that deserves the name. there is no happy fries cuz they wont be if you dont dip them into a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup.

so mayonnaise it is.

mayonnaise is easy & cheap to buy so there isnt really a reason to make it yourself. unless you have tasted homemade mayonnaise. well then - then you know about that heavenly soft strucuture and the actual taste of eggyolk & acid of the lemonjuice. then you just dont touch that glass of hellmans no more.

mayonnaise is so dead easy to make, you dont even have to be a good cook to make it. all you need is a good whisk and you need to follow those few tricks and you are only about 10 minutes away from a homemade mayonnaise. so here are some secrets to write home about:

• always work with fresh ingredients at room temperature. a cold eggyolk wont mix well with oil at roomtemperature.
• if your mayonnaise turns out too thin, whisk some more or simply add more oil
• if your mayonnaise turns out too thick, whisk in some water.
• if your mayonnaise "breaks" (a housewifes nightmare in the 50ties...), add a new eggyolk into a fresh bowl and slowly mix in your mayonnaise that went wrong. should rescue it!

RECIPE

basic mayonnaise

2 fresh bio-eggyolks, roomtemperature
1-2 teaspoon mild dijon mustard, roomtemperature
4-5 dl sunflower-, peanut- or rapeseedoil
2 tablespoon lemonjuice or white wine vineggar
salt & pepper, freshly ground

mixed by hand:

place a wet kitchentowell on your surface to keep the bowl in place.

put eggyolks into bowl, mix with the mustard. add the oil bit by bit, making sure you whisk constantly. make sure to add more oil when the mixture is all soft and well whisked. as soon as the mayonnaise is soft but kinda firm, add the lemonjuice or vineggar.

then add rest of the oil and whisk in well until you get the desired consistency. season with freshly ground salt & pepper.

mixed with a blender:
add eggyolks & mustard (you can use a whole egg and one eggyolk, as you like) and give it a quick mix. then slowly ass the oil in a steady stream while mixing, add lemonjuice or vineggar at the end, season with salt & pepper.

STORAGE:

fresh mayonnaise keeps for about a week in an airtight container or glass.

IDEAS FOR MIX-INS:

• add fresh herbes such as freshly chopped dill, chive, parsley...
• mix in tiny cubes of mangoes or pineapple (careful with the juice!)
• add some hot chili for a spicy version
• add some finely cut gerkins, parsley & hard boiled egg and your sauce tartare is right there in your bowl!