Comments on: yolk, lemon juice, salt, oil

By: Ross

Ross — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Good god: mayonaise. I know so many people who say things like, “Chicken salad? Ugh. All that white dressing.” It’s true: especially in deli foods, the mayo is often alarmingly cheap. “I don’t like mayo” is a statement I don’t often believe, much like “I don’t like bacon.” It usually means “I’ve never had real mayo.”

If only people new. Good post, sir.

By: ML

ML — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Thanks! Your recipe plus photos made me go to the kitchen and make some mayo. It was soo delicious…. And it was exciting precisely because it didn’t work. So I kinda hopelessly tried your “rescue” technique and bam! magic! really cool…

I vaguely remember my mom teaching me how to make mayo, but that was a looong time ago. She actually used a blender.

My mom is the best cook in the world, but thanks to you humble me can now do something better than she ever did! Can’t wait to go visit them…I guess “family competition” is a plate best served creamy…

Thank you!!!

By: Marlies

Marlies — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Messy, Michael’s recipe is better than Alton’s. Use a food processor though. You never have to worry about the mayo not thickening, or having to do the drop-by-drop oil thing, for that matter. A slow steady stream is fine. The only thing you have to watch though is: have all ingredients at room temp. That’s important. You can use an egg yolk or a whole egg. With a whole egg you just have to add more oil. Before adding the oil you can dump all kinds of goodies into the mix, ie fresh garlic, or herbs, or some mustard, or chipotles. The sky’s the limit! I make a fresh batch (takes 5 minutes) once a week. There is no Hellman’s in my house.

By: radish

radish — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I wonder where that claim came from re: menstruating women and mayonnaise… Regardless, homemade mayonnaise is ambrosial and breathtaking – once you try it, it’s hard to go back to a pre-made one.

By: sam

sam — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Thanks for the shout out Michael – I guess the truth is that I just can’t make mayonnaise. I try and try and try again at all times of the month and only get it right once in a blue moon. I don’t know why it eludes me, but it does.I will try again using your instructions. My mayo is always way more yellow, too. Maybe cos I only buy pastured eggs which have glorious yolks.
I suck. Seriously

By: Russ H

Russ H — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I made the mayo and it was great! My chef-brother was impressed with it (especially when I told him I hand wisked it). His only criticisms were 1.) to much salt (I thought I put too much in…he confirmed it) and 2.) Too much lemon juice (again, my fault. I didn’t measure. I just squeezed a half lemon in, so instead of a teaspoon, I may have had closer to 3+. Oh well)

And it STILL kicked the crap out of anything that comes in a jar!

By: ingo

ingo — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

i just took a stab at this, first time making mayo! my first try just never ever got thick at all. it was very disappointing. second try was a charm, i used the whisk attachment on my immersion blender and after a few tense moments and some major oil splattering everything came together beautifully!

too bad the husband doesn’t like mayo. i need to put this on everything i eat. i’ve been prowling the kitchen for something to dip in it other than my finger.

By: Timothy Ross

Timothy Ross — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

This was one of the funnest/simplest things I have made in a long time. I have always been a mayo enthusiast and was so shocked to see how easy this was. I added garlic, lemon, and a little siracha to mine.

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Well a little off topic but for what is worth. I stopped by the Normans high end specialty market a block up from the Wynn Dixie were I bought the crappy sineue chicken that resulted in probably one of the most sublime dishes I have managed and looked at what a real gourmaid chicken should look like…and wow!!!!!!!!!
I was discussing with my bro that the amount of work and time I had dedicated to the brinning and the deboning and the making of the stuffing and the roasting of the galantine including making the brown sauce/gravy…. It just doesn’t make sense to use a cheap chicken. I know for you guys it’s a yawn..but believe me for me, this is a real EUREKA moment in my kitchen. Good ingrediens.. I get it!. Now Bro says that Publix sells a nice organic chicken. I will check it out but the chickens at Norman brothers looked like something right out of Jacques Pepin DVD.

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Nope, the mayo sauce won’t go with the mojo chicken. I will have to wait until I do the grilled red snapper later this week or next. This chicken galantine requires a brown sauce not white.

By: Claudia (the Original)

Claudia (the Original) — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Oh, Michael, I didn’t realize Bourdain hadn’t made mayo since the 70’s because he’d gotten arthritic – I thought it was the alcohol-induced shaky hands! Thank God Ottavia’s the alpha cook in the kitchen these days (!)

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

The galantine is done!… now I am preparing to make the compound mayo sauce using Rhulmans technique. Really needs to be more of a gravy…I’ll try a couple of things… worst comes to worst I don’t have to use it. This dish is all about incremental assembly.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I was afraid of it breaking, so I whisked the hell out of it, and my arm feels like its about to fall off, but damn its good.

By: Mark Boxshus

Mark Boxshus — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I made home made mayonnaise for the first time today, and it was incredible. Making it was very easy, and I’ll never (maybe in a pinch) go back to the store bought stuff again. Thanks for the inspiration.

Mark

By: nmd

nmd — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I didn’t see the answer to whether to try to use half a yolk if making half the recipe. Would you just use a whole one? Thanks!

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Getting ready to try a gallatine… making brine, deboning the chicken a la Pepin way.
Can smell the brine from my office already…yum!!!!!!! The stuffing is a challenge right now. Major Ingredients on hand.. stuffing o’course.. cabagge, onions, carrots, mushrooms and Spinach. Oh and there is spanish chorizo and eggs for additional protein flavor. Kicking the ingredients around… something is bound to click between now and and cooking time. The stuffing is key to making all this work pay off.
Definitelly plan to keep the gallatine cooking around 3-325 degrees for as long as it takes. For the sauce….I am planning to try something based on this Rhulman technique. I can see the mayonnaise already uses lemon juice a cornerstone of mojo. I am going to try making the mayo with italian spice, Oregano, garlic, pepper, apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and if I can find them.. chipotle peppers. I will try and whisk it as per master Rhulman’s directions.. but if I have to.. I will use the boat motor stick blender on the thing..
Complicated dishes such as this rarelly work out…This is why I keep a jar of peanut butter within reach at all times. But when they work out and surprise…yummmmmmmmo!!!!!!

By: Darius K.

Darius K. — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Hi Ruhlman,

I’ve made mayonnaise before, but I was inspired by this post to make some fresh mayo for Memorial Day today. This mayo has lime and pepper in it, and will serve the dual purpose of dipping sauce for yucca fries and condiment for burgers. This is also the first time I’ve made it with a whip instead of a food processor; the texture is definitely superior this way. It’s creamy! With a food processor it’s more foamy.

Here’s a crappy cell phone pic of the final product. Thanks again for the inspiration.

By: Bob delGrosso

Bob delGrosso — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Ms Glaze wrote:

“I’ve head one reason for mayo breaking is that the egg yolks are too cold”

Usually, the egg, oil and watery part (lemon juice, wine, vinegar, whatever) should all be about the same temp and typically, close to room temp. If either one is too cold (or too hot) it will be hard to make a stable emulsion.

Remember: you are trying to elide two things (oil and water) that are not normally attracted to each other. So you need to minimize the differences as much as possible.

If one or another ingredient is too hot or too cold there will be problems.

FoodPuta

Refrigerated mayonnaise will last for months. Sometimes the handmade stuff looks funky after a couple of days but that does not mean it is bad. Just whisk it a bit and it’ll look good as new.

By: cybercita

cybercita — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

i just finished reading about mayonnaise in herve´ this’ book kitchen mysteries. now i’m doubly inspired!

By: FoodPuta

FoodPuta — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I’ve been using my Vita-Mix for making Mayo, and haven’t bought Mayo for quite some time now. I’m not sure if this is considered Fo-Paw, but when I don’t have a lemon around, I just use white Vinegar.
One question I do have, is how long is it safe to keep in the Fridge? I only leave it for a couple of days.

Great Photo’s!!