Have you ever made something you just knew was going to be your new favorite thing and when you tasted it you realize it’s a bomb? OK, maybe it’s not a bomb, but it is certainly not the dish you had hoped it would be.
That’s exactly what happened to me this week. I was so ready for the oven-roasted- butternut-squash-fries-with-sage to be my elixir for the day. Alas, they were rather a disappointment. David and I both scoffed at them and Nacho and Guero got the remains in their dinner bowls. Which they licked clean, I might add – though it was a generous combination of salmon kibble with ground bison and butternut squash with sage. Yes, they eat well.
So there went my idea for a new blog post. What was I going to cook now? Rather than react, we simply went shopping. To several grocery stores and to the book store…in search of a new cookbook for inspiration. I needed something to make me feel better.
I’m not saying I never have culinary failures, but it is a rarity. And this is more of set back to my sense of “taste” than my ego. When I make something new, I get excited and ready for a new flavor sensation…something I can make once a week until I get tired of it and never want to see it again for another year. I do this with Brussels sprouts when they first hit the markets. And spinach. And then tomatoes.
So I came home with a new book about cooking (more on that in a later post)and sat down with the book and the Wednesday New York Times Dining section.
Mark Bittman’s feature article was about the virtues of the food processor and how he cannot live without it. Honestly, neither can I. My relatively new machine sits on the kitchen counter and is used several times a week. Because the food processor can make a “perfect mayonnaise” in one minute, Bittman believes it is “worth the price of admission.”
That was it! The inspiration I needed.
For months, and I do mean months, I have been telling David I want to make my own mayonnaise and he poo-poos the idea and says, “It’s not going to taste like store bought mayo. You’re probably going to be disappointed.”
Well, I was already disappointed that my oven-roasted butternut squash fries with sage sucked, how much more disappointed could homemade mayo make me? Plus, it’s homemade mayo, for goodness sake.
Once we tasted the homemade mayo and realized how spectacular it tastes, we started laughing as we recollected the many times we could not make “something” because we had no mayo. And to think, we could have had homemade mayo all along.
David took full blame for us not having tried this recipe before and now we are both glad to know we can have mayo anytime we want. I hear that “Hellman’s” is getting nervous.
Buen provecho!
Homemade Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 pastured egg
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar sherry vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup oil something very neutral such as canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil; although if making aioli you can use half olive oil
Instructions
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To the blender or food processor, add the egg, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and process until blended.
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Turn the machine on again and slowly pour the cup of oil in the hatch so it drizzles in while the machine works it magic.
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When the oil is drizzled in, walk away for one minute and when you return you will have a perfectly gorgeous and light yellow-tinted homemade mayonnaise. Taste the mayonnaise and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
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Store in an air-tight container or lidded jar. Mayonnaise will last for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Garlic Mayonnaise (Aioli) — Add 2 or more (as many as 8) cloves of garlic, to taste. Oil should be made up of at least half olive oil.
Chile Mayonnaise — Add 1 or 2 dried chilis, like ancho, Thai, or chipotle, soaked in warm water until soft, then drained, patted dry, and stemmed and seeded. (Or use 1 canned chipotle and a little of its adobo sauce.)
Roasted Pepper Mayonnaise — Add 1 roasted red, yellow or orange bell pepper.
Green Sauce, French-Style — Add 1 sprig tarragon, about 10 sprigs of watercress (thick stems removed), 10 chives and the leaves of 5 parsley stems.
Cold Mustard Sauce — Use 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon-style or whole grain mustard. Thin with a tablespoon or two of cream or sour cream to desired consistency.
13 More Ideas for Flavoring Mayonnaise
Add any of the following ingredients, alone or in combination.
2. Up to 1 tablespoon minced strong fresh herb leaves, like rosemary, oregano, tarragon, marjoram, epazote or thyme
3. Up to 1/4 cup mild fresh herb leaves, like parsley, cilantro, chives, chervil or basil
4. Up to 1/4 cup minced sweet pickles
5. 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
6. 1 teaspoon wasabi powder, or to taste
7. 1 teaspoon or more grated citrus zest
8. At least a teaspoon prepared horseradish
9. A few dashes of Tabasco, Worcestershire or other prepared sauce
10. Up to 1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans
11. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
12. Up to 2 tablespoons chili powder
13. 2 or 3 anchovies, blended in at the very end; be sure to omit the salt
I have never had success with food processor mayo- for whatever reason, it never emulsifies and ends up being a giant waste of EVOO and organic eggs. I started making it in the blender and have never gone back- emulsifies every time. I love making it with a bit of garlic- perfect on everything from a burger to crab cakes.
I'll have to try one more time with the food processor following your descriptions!
Kristi, Trust me…you will not be disappointed with this recipe…it made amazingly fabulous (and I do mean fab) mayo. Mark Bittman knows food which is why I used his recipe. Give the food processor another chance to make you some great mayo!! Hugs, H