How to cook: Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is a really fun thing to teach kids to make; get your young helper to whisk while you pour the oil, or vice versa.

Instructions

Step 1 Put the egg yolk, salt and 1 teaspoon lemon juice into a round bottomed bowl and beat with a whisk to combine.

Step 2 Measure the oil into a jug with a fine pouring spout. Hold the whisk in the bowl with one hand and with the jug in the other hand, slowly and gradually drizzle about 1/2 a teaspoon of oil into the egg mix, whisking constantly until all the oil disappears. Repeat until you have a thick, glossy mixture.

Step 3 As the emulsion thickens, you can let the drizzle run just a little faster but don't stop whisking until the mix is as thick as you want. Sometimes eggs take up more oil, or you may want a really thick mayonnaise to make aioli.

Step 4 Stir in extra lemon juice or vinegar and pepper if needed. Homemade mayonnaise lasts up to a week covered and refrigerated.

To make in a processor or blender

• Use 1 whole egg instead of the yolk only.
• Proceed in the same way, but stop the motor and lift the lid a few times after the first few additions of oil to check the oil and egg are blended totally, before adding too much oil.

Variations

• Aioli
  Put 2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed, into the bowl before you start the mayonnaise and use enough oil to make a very thick mix. It is a great dip or spread for crusty bread, and a dollop is perfect with spring asparagus. Use as the central dip for a party vegetable platter or try a spoonful with your next grilled steak.
• Sauce tartare
  Stir in extra mustard to taste and add a teaspoon or more of capers, 2 or 3 finely chopped gherkins and a tablespoon of finely chopped herbs. Choose tarragon, dill or chervil to accompany fish, or chives with sliced hard-boiled eggs.
  
  Easy green sauce
  Stir in a tablespoon or more of pesto, preferably homemade, or a finely chopped mix of green herbs, especially basil.
• Salad cream
  Thin mayonnaise with a little unsweetened whipped cream and a mild cider vinegar to taste.
  

What you need to know

• It is essential that all ingredients are at room temperature before you attempt to mix them. If the oil and egg are too cold it is impossible for the mixture to emulsify, so the mix splits and you may be left with a curdled puddle.
• If the mix does split, it happens at the beginning. Don’t despair, you can usually rescue it if you start again with a clean bowl and whisk in another room temperature egg yolk and whisk the split mix to the new egg exactly as slowly as before.
• Take care to add the oil in an extremely slow stream at first until a thick, smooth mixture forms. If you use a processor or blender it is essential to stop the motor and lift the lid often, especially at first, to ensure the oil and egg yolk are forming a perfect smooth blend. I always add about half the oil really slowly. Try drop by drop on your first attempt, or a tiny stream, then the remainder just a little faster until the mayonnaise is the thickness you want. A good homemade mayonnaise will hold its shape when you plop a spoonful on a salad.
• Olive oil varies in quality and cost. I like the distinctive flavour of a good olive oil, especially those with a fruity or grassy taste, and Sabato, the Auckland importer of an extensive range of oils, suggest you consider taste and budget and try them before you buy. Suitable oil for dressings will cost about $16.95 for a 750ml bottle. If you prefer oil with a lighter taste try canola, sunflower, safflower, grape seed or the new rice bran oil, used alone or half and half with olive oil. These will be less expensive than olive oil, too. Whichever oil you do decide to use, in the interest of your health it is important to use an unsaturated oil.
• Air and light are the enemies of oil, so it is best to buy olive oil in dark bottles or tins as this helps prevent oxidation, and always store oil in a dark pantry or cupboard.
• It is interesting to check the ingredient list of commercial mayonnaise. There are a few brands made from the basic classic ingredients but many contain thickeners, food gums, flavour and colour enhancers, and stabilisers to increase their shelf life.