Have I mentioned lately how much I love Mark Bittman's recipes? They are easy, accessible, reliable and, of course, delicious! Here's one that Dana and I have been making up weekly because mayo goes with everything. Seriously, my friend eats banana mayonnaise sandwiches!
Mayonnaise by Mark Bittman from 'How To Cook Everything' This is the easiest, quickest way I have found to make mayonnaise at home. Making it yourself means it's made from organic high quality ingredients and costs a lot less than the stuff at the store, win win. I have a Bamix wand blender made in Switzerland, it's the ultimate wand blender and unlike most other versions, it will last forever because it's all one piece. On models where the stem detaches, eventually the connection point wears down and then you need a whole new one. No good. You can also use a blender or a food processor to make this mayonnaise. Or use a whisk, but remember, when whisking by hand you must add the oil only a teaspoon at a time and whip it in between. It's a bit of a work out! Ingredients for 1 Cup:
- 1 whole egg at room temperature
- dash cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard or organic Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice OR 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, sunflower seed oil, grape-seed oil or a combination, or more if needed, at room temperature
- Pinch or two of unrefined sea salt, to taste
Method:
- In food processor or blender combine the egg, cayenne, mustard, lemon juice, salt and ¼ cup of the oil. Blend for about 30 seconds.
- Then, with the processor or blender running, add the oil in a slow, thin stream. After you have added about ½ the oil, the mixture should start to thicken. You can add up to 1 ½ cups of oil, to the desired consistency.
- That’s it! Taste and adjust seasonings: more salt or lemon. Place in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. It will firm up even more in the fridge and will last about 2 weeks.
- If you’d like to, you can add 1 tablespoon of whey (which you can easily strain out of your whole milk yogurt) in the first step, before adding oil. In this case, let the finished mayo sit at room temperature for 7 hours and then place in the fridge. It will last several months this way and contains beneficial bacteria.
Variations… Fire Cider: Use Fire Cider in place of the lemon juice- 1 tablespoon Fire Cider plus 1 Tablespoon of water Garlic : Add 1-2 crushed cloves garlic to the egg yolk mixture. Be sure to use fresh garlic cloves, not jarred paste or jarred cloves, which can have an acrid taste. This one is great with the Fire Cider version. Cilantro Cucumber: Replace lemon juice with lime juice. After the mayo has thickened, add 3/4 cup cilantro leaves and 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber. Puree in blender until smooth. Herbs: When the mayonnaise has thickened, add 1/2 cup fresh parsley and 1/4 cup single or mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, tarragon, mint, or chives. Puree in blender until smooth.
