Mayonnaise is probably the most widely used sauce in cooking today. And for good reason, its basic recipe – mainly composed of egg yolk and oil – leaves the door open to all kinds of variations. Some add garlic, gherkins or even capers, while the most original go so far as to mix the egg with curry before incorporating the oil.
The secret of the emulsion for a successful homemade mayonnaise
Regardless of the recipe followed, the secret to any successful mayonnaise lies in the emulsion between its two main ingredients. The egg yolk, being half water, does not mix spontaneously with the oil. When we whisk the two together, we obtain a preparation with a homogeneous appearance, but which is in reality heterogeneous if we observe it under a microscope: this is the very phenomenon of the emulsion. To be sure that the latter takes place, and that your mayonnaise sets every time, several criteria must be considered.
During preparation, it is imperative that all the ingredients, and more particularly the oil, are at room temperature. The lower the temperature, the less likely emulsion will occur.
After adding – or not – your favorite condiments and spices to the egg yolk (mustard, salt, pepper, etc.), the oil should be poured in a thin stream, little by little, while beating with a whisk. The golden rule in making this recipe remains the direction of rotation, which should never, ever change. As for mixing speed, for an emulsion, the faster the better.
It’s official: you are now a mayo expert! All you have to do is customize it, for example by adding lemon to serve with seafood, coriander, chili puree, dill to serve with smoked salmon for a chic meal , or simply pour it into a small pot to dip vegetable sticks in as an aperitif.
