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Video

The Glamour of Homemade Mayonnaise

A video inspires us to make magic with an egg yolk

by The Gilt Taste Kitchen August 18, 2011

This YouTube gem reminded us of mayo’s versatility: With the right soundtrack playing, it can make you feel like the bad-ass hero of a 1970s action flick! More importantly, these last weeks of August happen to be BLT season the ideal time to practice your mayo-making skills (and tone your arms with an intense, five-minute whiskathon).


These proportions come directly from Francis Lam’s epic story on the science and magic of mayo.

Mayonnaise
Makes ¾ cup

1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or combination of lemon and vinegar)
¾ cup oil

In a large metal bowl, whisk the yolk with salt, mustard and lemon juice. Slowly as slowly as you can stand it add the oil gradually, whisking all the while. Now taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly (throw in a pinch of salt or squeeze in more lemon if the mayo tastes flat).

Tips

  • If you’re not pasteurizing your yolks like in the video (we usually skip that step, to be honest) bring your eggs up to room temperature before you get started it’ll help the mayo come together if all your ingredients are at the same temperature.
  • Use a neutral tasting oil, rather than olive oil olive oil tends to overwhelm a homemade mayo with strong, bitter flavors.
  • Pimp your mayo with tasty mix-ins try smoked Spanish paprika, sambal, saffron, chopped herbs, smoked salt, lemon zest, vadouvan, harissa, chopped capers and pickles (hello, tartar sauce!), or a drizzle of truffle oil.

 

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photo of The Gilt Taste Kitchen

The Gilt Taste Kitchen

The Gilt Taste Kitchen would be called The Kitchen at Gilt Taste, but that would sound too much like the name of a store in a fancy shopping mall.