Making a creamy, rich yet delicately flavoured mayonnaise could not be simpler.
If you carefully follow the steps this failproof recipe will be your go-to whenever you need, what is personally, one of my favourite condiments.
Finding a good, tasty and especially healthy mayonnaise at the shops is not easy. They have a tendency to be bland, artificial tasting and, worst of all, almost always made using seed oils. Seed oil is, as is increasingly becoming well known, incredibly bad for us. However, as it is far cheaper to produce, it dominates the food market and is in most processed foods.
Another reason that I love to make my own mayonnaise, is that I no longer have half a jar wasted in the fridge needing to be thrown out because it has expired before I can use it. This way you can control how much you make, use, and you know exactly what goes into it.
And speaking about what goes into it, I advise a light olive oil or avocado oil. Not only are these far healthier than so-called 'vegetable' oils (rapeseed or sunflower), but it tastes so much better too. I, personally, wouldn't use extra virgin olive oil as I find that the taste is too strong and it is slightly bitter but of course, you can use whatever is your preference.
I use an immersion blender to mix the mayo, but it is very possible to make using a hand held whisk or a food processor; you will need to change the method slightly: adding the egg first and then pouring the oil very slowly, all the while whisking or until the egg and oil have emulsified.
This homemade mayonnaise will last about a week stored in the fridge. However, if you want to make it last a bit longer, adding whey will cause lacto fermentation. This not only increases the shelf life but also adds healthy bacteria to the mayonnaise making it, like most fermented foods, great for gut health. And fear not: it does not change the taste.
Whey is a by-product of cheese or yogurt making. To make your own yogurt (which is ever-so-easy) check out my recipe here or alternatively, you can purchase plain, live yogurt from the shops and strain the whey from it using a cheese cloth or clean kitchen towel.
Once you have got the hang of making your own mayonnaise, you can change up the recipe by adding different herbs and spices, or to use as a base for other mayo based condiments.
Homemade Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
1 Egg
200ml Light olive oil (or avocado oil)
1 tbsp Vinegar (I use cider vinegar)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4tsp dried parsley
1/2tsp Mustard powder
1/4tsp Ground allspice
1tbsp Whey (optional. See note above)
Method:
Place the egg into a bowl or suitable container. Add in the oil all at once if using an immersion blender (see note if using a food processor or handheld whisk)
Place the stick blender into the bowl or beaker so that it is resting on the bottom.
Turn it on using a medium to high speed and holding it still. You will see the mixture emulsifying. At this point slowly bring the blender up until all of the oil is mixed in.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including the whey, if using, and blend until thoroughly incorporated.
If you have used the whey, you will need to let the mayonnaise sit at room temperature for 5-6 hours before refrigerating. This will then keep in the fridge for up to a month.
Otherwise, store the mayonnaise in a suitable container and it will keep in the fridge for up to a week.