One recipe that I make over and over is the mayo I learned how to make in culinary school. I usually make this recipe by hand instead of using a blender because I don’t have a high powered blender, and I find that if I make it in the food processor, it comes out too thin for my taste. The chef instructors at my school made sure we could all make a mayonnaise by hand because you never know when your equipment will fail on you, so you have to know how to rely on yourself and your own muscle!
First you start with 3 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt. Whisk that together until combined, then walk away for 30 minutes to let the egg yolks come to room temperature with the other ingredients.
After you have waited 30 minutes, the next step is to start whisking the egg yolk mixture vigorously until it has become light, airy, doubled in volume, and significantly a paler shade of yellow than when you first started. Wrap a kitchen towel in a ring around the base of the bowl to keep it from clattering all over the counter.
My egg yolks were from a local farm that raises their chickens on open pasture, so the yolks are bright orange to start and their color only lightened a bit. This step takes about 3 – 5 minutes. (Your arm isn’t tired yet, right? You can do it!)
Ok, almost there. Now you gotta add in 2 cups of a healthy oil, such as a light olive oil or buttery Avocado Oil, drop by drop at first while whisking vigorously. Don’t use a heavily flavored oil, like extra virgin olive oil, and also, please please please don’t use an unhealthy vegetable oil like canola or peanut oil. That stuff is rancid, and unhealthy.
After about a minute, you can start to stream in the oil while whisking, but in a very small stream. Gradually the stream can get a little larger, but not much. Every 15 seconds or so stop streaming in the oil and just whisk to make sure all the oil is being incorporated and emulsified.
After you have successfully added all 2 cups of Avocado oil, you are free to flavor your mayo however you like – I personally love extra lemon juice (about another 2 tablespoons), more salt, and a big pinch of cayenne pepper. The golden hue of the Avocado Oil and the bright orange yolks make my mayo luscious, lemony, buttery, almost like a hollandaise.
The Best Homemade Mayo
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 large pinch of salt
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 Cups of Avocado Oil or extra light olive oil
extra lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and extra salt to taste
Instructions
Combine the first four ingredients and allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
Whisk egg yolk mixture for 3-5 minutes vigorously until doubled in volume.
Add in Avocado Oil, drop by drop at first, then in a steady stream, whisking constantly.
After all the oil is emulsified, add in lemon juice, cayenne, and salt to taste and whisk again to combine. Store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.
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