A lot of people balk at the idea of making their own mayonnaise. Horror stories abound about how it curdled or was runny or just tasted like raw egg. There don’t have to be disasters, it really is super simple. Granted it is very easy grabbing a jar off the supermarket shelf but it just doesn’t have the same rich, creaminess of fresh, homemade mayo.
The trick to good mayonnaise, as with many tasty things – such as cheese and wine – good things take time. The key is to add the oil very slowly.
My favourite kind of mayonnaise is aioli, or garlic mayonnaise. However, I find that raw garlic can be a bit over-powering so I like to use roasted or confit garlic which gives a softer, sweeter flavour. Below the mayonnaise recipe is a note on how to confit garlic. Once you try it, if you are a garlic lover like me you are likely to want to keep a jar of confit garlic always on hand in the fridge.
This batch of garlic mayonnaise will keep in the fridge for up to a week (if it lasts that long). It is great for a classic potato or Caesar salad, or to make a batch of tartar sauce to go with fresh fish. Simply leave out the garlic for a plain mayo.
Garlic Mayonnaise
Ingredients
1 whole egg
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 – 2 cloves of garlic or 5 – 6 cloves confit garlic (see note below)
1/3 cup flavourless oil – canola, sunflower, grapeseed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Method
Put the egg, mustard and garlic into a bowl (if using a stick blender), food processor or blender. While continually blending slowly add the first measure of oil in a gentle stream. Then slowly add the olive oil. You may not need all of the olive oil, add until the mayonnaise is about the thickness of sour cream.
Add the lemon juice, then the salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer into a clean jar and keep refrigerated.
You may have noticed that I used a whole egg in this mayonnaise recipe, as opposed to traditional mayo which only uses egg yolk. That is because I don't always have the time to then do something with the egg white and I hate food waste. Feel free to use 2 egg yolks in the recipe instead of a whole egg.
To confit garlic: peel a handful of cloves, place them in a pot and barely cover with cooking oil. Over the lowest heat gently cook until the cloves are soft. Cool, transfer into a clean jar and refrigerate. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of months. The garlic cloves can be spread on sandwiches or used in dips, and the oil can be used in salad dressings or for mashing potatoes; any way you like to use it.