Continuing the making your own condiments series from salsa previously, Today I want to focus on something that always seemed a little foreign. Something many of us eat regularly, but does not give the impression of being a food at all. I’m talking about Mayonnaise, the poster child for processed foods. Perhaps it was just my upbringing -and no not one in which we had better and fancier things to eat, we always had the Hellmann’s which was used regularly by my sisters- but I never understood it. I knew it was egg based, but that was all. To me it seemed like this lab created product.

You might be able to imagine my surprise and enthusiasm during the beginning weeks my culinary education when I found out that I was supposed to reenact this extraordinarily feat in food science. I checked my bag for safety goggles. I looked for the Bunsen burners and Erlenmeyer Flasks. Nothing. How was I supposed to complete this assignment?

As my amateur nature showed and I continued to read, I found out that even though mayonnaise may setback science in some ways, it is really quite basic. Vegetable oil, Water, Egg Yolks. That will get you a basic mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise is an emulsified sauce. This concept is where the science comes in. Ever try to mix water and oil? If you haven’t, or never really bothered to notice, they will separate every time. Egg yolks, specifically the protein emulsifier Lecithin contained within, are added to overcome this phenomenon. When added, the lecithin will surround the oil droplets, preventing them from contacting each other and regrouping, thus providing us with the ability to achieve this combination. When making mayonnaise, vinegar (containing water) is often used for flavor. The balance of vinegar, oil, lecithin and agitation (whipping motion) is crucial to achieve a proper emulsion. The more oil to vinegar, the thicker the sauce will be.

Now that we have the science out of the way for all those fearful people like me - if there are any- let’s make some mayonnaise. If you plan on making this my hand, warm up your whisking arm and put some music on. You will need some time to kill.

photo credit: madcache

What we will need for 1 qt of Mayonnaise:

4 Egg yolks (pasteurized for safety, or if fresh farm eggs ensure the freshness. Egg will not be cooked)

1 tsp Salt

White Pepper to taste

1 tsp Dry Mustard (optional, for flavor)

3 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar

28 fl oz. Oil (The choice of oil is up to you. For a traditional mayo I would use something flavorless like peanut or safflower, but being not much of a fan, I prefer olive oil mostly because it dominates the flavor and is good for sauce like purposes opposed to condiment uses.)

Lemon Juice to taste

Procedure:

1. Let your ingredients reach room temperature. This will allow them to emulsify with ease.
2. Whip the egg yolks, by hand or food processor, until frothy and lemon-colored.
3. Add seasonings to the yolks and whip to combine. We add the seasoning now for they will merge with greater ease now opposed to in the finished product.
4. Add a small amount of vinegar and combine.
5. Now continue whisking vigorously and add the oil very slowly until the emulsion forms. It is important not to add the oil to fast. If too much is added before the lecithin has time to fully cover the molecule, the oil will combine with itself and break your mixture.
6. Once the emulsion is formed the oil can be added slightly faster. Less agitation is also needed, but be careful and watch what is occurring. If the mixture begins to break, add a couple drops of boiling water to reestablish the emulsion. One large egg can emulsify up to 7 fluid ounces of oil.
7. The mayonnaise will become thicker as more oil is combined. Alternate between oil and the vinegar until all has been incorporated.
8. Adjust seasonings, add lemon juice to taste.
9. Refrigerate until needed.

Storage:

Safety Alert. The raw eggs in freshly prepared mayonnaise make it a potentially hazardous food. Keep below 41 degrees Fahrenheit, well covered, and use within a couple days.