My new favorite thing to make at home is mayonnaise. It was part of a class a couple weeks ago, and I promise it is extremely easy and takes no more than 10 minutes! All you need is one (or more for richness) egg yolk, a splash of white wine vinegar, a small teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt, (preferably white) ground pepper and vegetable or Canola oil. Garlic mayo is just a small step further. Simply infuse some olive oil at low heat with smashed garlic. There’s no need to chop it as you’ll remove it once it’s done its job.
- Separate the egg yolks and place into a large mixing bowl. The best way to do this is to use the eggshells and pass the yolk between the shells until the whites have separated. Keep them for a great egg white omelette!
- I used three yolks here for richness but you can easily do it with more. For one litre of oil, you can add up to 8 egg yolks. Add just a splash of white wine vinegar. You really don’t need much and can always add more. When you add the salt, be sure to add it to the mustard and not directly on the yolk since it will start to cure it and creates dark spots.
- Put a damp towel under the bowl since you’ll be whisking quite fast. You don’t want to slip!
- Now if you want garlic mayo, combine the garlic-infused olive oil and vegetable oil. Measure about 300ml or about 1.25 cups of oil in total. You can always add more! Whisk the egg yolk(s), vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until the salt dissolves. Then very gradually whisk in the oil. Be sure to whisk very quickly (this is your workout!). Make sure the oil is fully incorporated before you add more. If it splits (the oil looks separated), just add a little cold water. If it gets too thick, you can add a small splash of white wine vinegar.
- Once you’ve got the consistency you like, make sure you wrap in plastic directly on the surface to avoid a ‘skin’ forming. You must use this within one day!
Now as promised (for Leah and Tae!) – a great use for this garlic mayonnaise is a pesto dip! There are so many variations of pesto, but you can’t beat a classic basil pesto. Here’s a good recipe, but I honestly don’t measure. You need:
- Basil, roughly chopped
- Garlic, roughly chopped
- Parmesan (preferably a block), freshly grated or roughly chopped
- Pine nuts, lightly toasted (just a bit of color on them)
- Salt (rock or sea preferably), go easy because Parmesan is salty!
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
I use a food processor since it’s much easier. To help out with the process I roughly chop everything. Toasting the pine nuts help to bring out the flavor, but be careful because they’re very oily and can burn quickly. When you add the pine nuts, they’ll be quite warm so I add them on the side and not directly onto the basil leaves (so they won’t wilt). Blend everything but the olive oil. Then gradually pour in the oil while the food processor is on. Go easy because you may not need that much. Make sure you taste! Then adjust to your preference. If you don’t like to eat raw garlic, you can use the garlic-infused oil instead.
Just mix with the garlic mayonnaise and voila you have pesto dip! The mayo will take 10 minutes to make and the pesto another 10. But if you don’t have 20 spare minutes, you can always buy both parts at the store and combine! You could also combine store-bought pesto with creme fraiche or try this sour cream/cream cheese combo. Since I made the pesto mayo for a BBQ, I used it on my burger instead of ketchup and it was delicious! I highly recommend for spicing up a boring sandwich too!
