So many food items in today’s world have been homogenized to the point where we don’t know what homemade is supposed to taste like. One of those is mayonnaise. That go-to dressing for your sandwich and a base of so many sauces or marinades. The important thing to remember about mayonnaise is that it is an emulsion. It is a careful and chemically sound blend of oil and egg. Egg has an ability to draw in about 1/2 to a 3/4 C. of oil. I do not make this from hand, I use the power of my food processor. Here is my recipe that I use and alas another great one from Julia Child.

ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS

1) Gather 2 egg yolks, 1 egg, 1 tsp of salt, 1 TBSP of lemon juice and mustard. And the most important ingredient of all, oil; 2 Cups. You can play with the mixture of olive oil and other oils but think about how you will use your mayonnaise. If you want a less aggressive taste, use mostly a neutral tasting oil. For a more flavorful one, you use a high quality extra virgin olive oil.

2) In the food processor, add the first 5 ingredients. Mix.

3) With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 C. of oil. This is the beginnings of your emulsion. Now, you can drizzle in another 1 C.. At the 1 1/2 C mark, take an assessment of your mayonnaise. If it is too thin, slowly drizzle in more oil. If too thick, you can add more lemon juice or vinegar. Remember, you eggs can only draw so much oil in, so be careful.

You are done! 5 minutes you will have great tasting mayonnaise. Remember that this does not have the same shelf life as commercial mayonnaise. Count on it being good for about 4-5 days in the fridge.

Nosh Tips: You can use vinegar in place of lemon juice. Have fun with the options. Also, experiment with your oil. I haven’t tried a duck egg mayonnaise yet but might have to.

Eat.Drink.Savor.