The Recipes: Mayonnaise And Variations

I'm a flavour junkie in life and mayonnaise is right up my alley. The first time I tasted it was as a spread on my school lunch sandwiches. Since that time I've seen it, tasted it or heard about it being used in recipes for fry sauce, ranch dressing, tartar sauce and countless other variations. I was addicted way back then and that love for mayonnaise has only grown throughout the years.

In these days I prefer to make my own mayo. My Basic Mayonnaise. If I'm in a rush I will resort to using a really good store-bought variety but nothing comes close to the taste you get when you make it yourself. It's simple, creamy, tangy and a really outstanding flavour. It's very easy to make and when you know how, and I'll show you how in this blog, you will never turn back.  It's an emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice and once you've mastered the art of making it yourself, you can move on and try other varieties and spin off of that.

I love making sauces based on mayonnaise and the one thing you'll quickly discover is that this sauce is not just a sandwich spread anymore. You'll be doing yourself a disservice if you limit it to that and stick with tradition.You can turn this into a sauce for meats and crisp steamed vegetables and it's a fantastic sauce with crispy roasted potato fries. You can dress it up and in no time you have an outstanding sauce jammed with flavour.

I often use my basic mayonnaise recipe and turn it into a mayonnaise studded with fresh lime juice and a handful of herbs--my classic Lime and Herb Mayonnaise. I also take my basic recipe and with a few other additions I have my take on a quick Spicy Aoili Sauce. You can do so many great things and it all starts with mayonnaise. Every country has their take on this classic recipe but we all owe a debt of gratitude to France, particularly food famous for Mayo and Hollandaise.

These are the gems that you should add to your kitchen repertoire.

My Basic Mayonnaise:

Yields: 2 cups

The Goods:
4 large eggs
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup Extra-Virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. hot water
kosher salt and cracked fresh pepper

Prep:
1. Using a food processor, combine the egg yolks, mustard and salt & pepper. Pulse just until you break up the yolks.
2. Drizzle in the oil in a thin stream while the machine is still on pulse. Add in the lemon juice and the water.
3. Remove and taste for salt & pepper. Season accordingly.

The ingredients, the yolks broken and the finished Mayo!

Lime and Herb Mayonnaise

Yields: 1 cup

The Goods:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. lime juice plus zest
1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs, finely chopped (any combination of chives, basil, parsley, mint, cilantro)
Kosher salt & cracked fresh pepper

Prep:
1. In a large mixing bowl, add your mayonnaise. Throw in your chopped herbs and sour cream. Add lime juice and zest.
2. Taste for salt & pepper.

The top picture is Mayo. The bottom is my lime-herb Mayo.

Spicy Aoili Sauce:

Yields: 1 cup

The Goods:
3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
5 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, chopped and made into paste
3 tbsp. Extra-Virgin olive oil
Kosher salt & cracked fresh pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Prep:
1. Add all ingredients, except oil, to a small mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Slowly add oil while whisking until fully combined. Season to taste.

From Mayo up top to Spicy Aioli Sauce below.

On a Sunday afternoon while watching the game I love to make some roasted potato fries. Crispy and salty and delicious. Nothing goes better with my fries than two small ramekins filled with my Spicy Aoili and Lime-Herb Mayo. Enjoy! I know I am.

My Sunday answer to a snack.

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