HOMEMADE MAYO THROWDOWN
I have always wanted to try my hand at making homemade mayonnaise. The homemade variety is touted as being far superior to even the best store bought brands (in my book that would be Hellman’s). However, I have always been reluctant to forge ahead and try my hand at mayo making. In my mind, it appeared to be a dicey proposition – combine a lone egg yolk, a little vinegar and some oil and …. presto – you end up with a rich and creamy mayonnaise that would rival my favorite commercial brand. I was skeptical.
However one day, when I had eggs on the stove boiling for egg salad and then discovered that we were out of mayonnaise, at that point I determined that the time had come for the homemade mayo challenge. Very quickly, two recipes were found and I decided that since I was going to engage in homemade mayo making, I would try out both recipes and determine which of the two that I liked the best.
The first recipe I found was on Food Network and was contributed by Alton Brown. The second recipe came from Bon Appetit magazine and was provided by Molly Wizenberg. Both recipes were similar and included egg yolk, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, some type of mustard, salt and oil (either canola or safflower). Where they differed was Alton Brown’s recipe added a couple pinches of sugar; his also had more vinegar and used dry mustard as opposed to Wizenberg’s recipe that used Dijon mustard and no sugar.
Both were easy to make, albeit both requiring considerable amounts of whisking to emulsify the eggs and oil. Having a partner available to help with the whisking is very helpful. You definitely need to slowly drizzle in the first amounts of oil, to make sure that the emulsifying process is happening (the egg mixture starts to turn lighter in color when it begins to emulsify). Don’t rush the process! It took about 10 minutes to whip up each variety of mayonnaise.
THE RESULTS:
Brown’s mayo was creamy and thick with a slight bite of vinegar taste to it. Wizenberg’s version was also creamy, although not as thick and overall had a smoother taste. Both mayos were used in the egg salad and tasted great. With an unscientific sample (my family), the consensus was that both recipes were very good, but the edge was given to Wizenberg’s recipe for its velvety texture and smoother taste. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Although it takes more time, both homemade mayos were more flavorful and creamy than commercial brands.
Bottom line - I’ll still keep my favorite commercial brand in the refrigerator, but when time permits, homemade mayonnaise will prevail. Once you’ve mastered this technique, you can also make an olive-oil based mayonnaise with garlic called aioli that is a great topping for steamed vegetables and roasted chicken.
Recipe #1 - Homemade mayo recipe from Alton Brown – Good Eats – Mayo Clinic Episode
Yield: Approximately 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
1 egg yolk*
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon fine salt
2 pinches sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup oil, canola, safflower or corn
PREPARATION
In a glass bowl, whisk together egg yolk and dry ingredients. Combine lemon juice and vinegar in a separate bowl, then thoroughly whisk half into the yolk mixture. Start whisking briskly, then start adding the oil a few drops at a time until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten a bit. Once you reach this stage, you can relax your arm a little (not too much though) and increase the oil flow to a constant (albeit thin) stream. Once half of the oil is in add the rest of the lemon juice mixture. Continue whisking until all of the oil is incorporated. Leave at room temperature for 1-2 hours and then refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Recipe #2 - Homemade mayo recipe from Molly Wizenberg – Bon Appetit – April 2008 edition
Yield: ¾ cup
INGREDIENTS
1 large egg yolk**
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup canola oil
PREPARATION
Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and ½ teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼ teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add ¼ cup oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time. Gradually add remaining ½ cup oil in very slow stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes. Cover and chill.
**RAW EGG WARNING
Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. To avoid the risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness, you can use pasteurized egg yolk instead.