Foolproof Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise has a reputation for being difficult to make. Experimentation has produced this recipe, which is both super reliable and very tasty.

Research to date has indicated that the optimum base recipe is from River Cottage Everyday (Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall) p282, which is reliable to make in a food processor, but needs adjustment to quantities and ingredients to actually taste good. You should be able to make this (with a little practice) in just over 5 minutes. You will need a food processor and a pestle and mortar.

Ingredients

• 100ml peanut oil
• 50ml good olive oil
• ½ garlic clove (so just over a pea sized amount of garlic)
• A pinch of sea salt
• Several grinds of white pepper
• A pinch (perhaps ¼ teaspoon) of caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard (the seedless brown variety, wet mustard not powder).
• 1 large egg yolk (medium will probably be fine)
• 1 teaspoon wine vinegar

Makes about 175ml

Mix the oils together (it’s easiest to pour them both into the same measuring jug). Put aside.

Crush the garlic to a paste in a pestle and mortar with the salt. Note it will sometimes harmlessly discolour (it can turn gray-ish). Transfer it to a food processor bowl and add all the other ingredients (except the oil mixture).

Turn the food processor on. After 15 seconds, start slowly adding the oil mixture, particularly slowly to start off with. You want to add the whole of the oil over about 2 minutes. The tone of the food processor will slowly change as you do this. After you have added it, continue for another 15 seconds.

Transfer to a jar. It will keep for a week refrigerated (at least with European unwashed eggs which might keep a bit longer than US ones).

For garlic mayonnaise, up the amount of garlic to one clove.

 For mayonnaise for fish etc., add a teaspoon of lime or lemon juice before adding the oil, together with some zest.