Deli Mayonnaise (Recipe With Tutorial)

Submitted by Rare Affaire

"This is the best mayonnaise for several reasons. First, it hands-down has more flavor than commercial mayo. Secondly, it's lower in fat than store bought varieties. And third, when properly emulsified, it has a fantastic shelf life! (Six months??!! Who has mayo that doesn't get used up before that?) Don't let the length of the directions put you off... it's not nearly as bad as it looks... it was first written as a training recipe for emulsified sauces, so there are lots of explanations and comments."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Yields: 28 ounces

ingredients

• 4 fluid ounces pasteurized egg yolks (or 6 regular egg yolks for you daredevils out there)
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons sea salt (any fine grained, non-iodized salt is okay... kosher is usually too coarse)
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard (we prefer Colman's)
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 22 ounces salad oil (that translates as 1 lb 6 oz by weight if you have a scale, but 2 3/4 cups by volume works... note -)
• white pepper (optional)

directions

1. Select the method of blending: blender (not the easiest but workable), food processor (my personal favorite), mixer with whisk attachment, or by hand (for the purist who has a strong arm).
2. Combine salt & dry mustard in a small bowl and reserve. In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar and lemon juice and reserve.
3. Blend (or process or whisk -- you get my meaning) the egg yolks until smooth and slightly lighter in color.
4. Add the salt/dry mustard mixture. Blend smooth.
5. Add about 1/3 of the vinegar/lemon juice. Blend smooth (This stage is the "sabayon" of the mayonnaise, or the base before the emulsion is begun.).
6. While blending (about half speed on the blender or higher speed by the other methods), drizzle in about 1/4 tsp of the oil. Blend until the oil has completely incorporated and can't be seen any more. Repeat several times. (This is establishing your "emulsion", or placing the oil in suspension in the sauce.).
7. While blending, begin drizzling the oil into the bowl at a SLOW but steady rate -- not more than a teaspoon every couple of seconds. If the mixture begins to sound "wet" or looks curdled, stop adding oil and allow the mixture to emulsify completely before continuing. (You do NOT need to pour the oil directly onto the moving whisk/blades. Pouring down the side of the the bowl works fine IF YOU ARE PATIENT.) Continue until 1/3 of the oil is emulsified. Note: if the mixture continues to appear curdled and will not mix together successfully after 30 seconds of blending without adding additional oil, you likely have a "broken" mayonnaise, and need to take steps to fix it before continuing -- a process not covered here.
8. Add about 1/2 the remaining vinegar/lemon juice and blend until incorporated.
9. Repeat the previous 2 steps. You can add oil at a faster rate, but a slow, steady drizzle will still be the safest. Add the last of the vinegar/lemon juice at the end and blend smooth.
10. Add the last of the oil as before until it is all incorporated and emulsified. Make sure to scrape your bowl/blending container before giving it a final blending. May be used immediately.
11. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.
12. Note: any recipe that uses uncooked egg can be considered a health hazard. If you are unsure about this, we recommend using pasteurized egg yolk.