Magic trick moments
The most important thing to know is that the oil needs to be added very slowly right from the start for the egg yolk and oil to come together and stay together.
When it ‘takes.’ This happens quite early on and you’ll know it’s working when the mixture starts thickening up and becoming glossy. I use a fork to drop in the oil at first, to be sure more droplets are only added once the last addition has been incorporated. It may seem overly cautious, but it helps slow me down. Brandon uses a jug from the get-go, adjusting his pour from drops to steady stream.
When it turns white. The mayonnaise goes from bright yellow with the texture of cream to yellow-gold with the texture of ointment, and then there’s this satisfying turning point when the lemon juice is added and the colour brightens to be closer to white and the texture becomes floppy like the early stages of whipped cream. It’s more discernible in real life but still worth watching out for in the video.
Adding a tang of acidity. If you like a tangy mayonnaise, the trick to achieving just the right sweet-sour tang is a white vinegar containing concentrated grape must (pressed juice reduced to a syrup that’s neither fermented nor caramelised). Originally marketed as White Balsamic Condiment, it can be found in the vinegar aisle and now goes by a name with infinitely more mystery: White Condiment.
The mayonnaise
Place a damp, folded cloth or tea towel under a large glass bowl to steady it during whisking. Have 150ml to 180ml sunflower or grapeseed oil ready in a measuring jug.
Place one egg yolk, half a teaspoon Dijon mustard, a good pinch of sea salt and white pepper and a few drops of lemon juice in the bowl and mix well with a whisk until smooth.
Whisking the egg-yolk mixture add a few drops of the oil. Dipping a fork into the oil and flicking drops of oil from the ends of the tines makes sure only a little oil is added at a time. The trick is to add the oil very slowly so that the mixture has a chance to thicken. Only add more droplets once the last oil droplets have been incorporated.
You’ll see and feel the moment when the egg-yolk mixture starts to thicken. At that point, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously. If the mixture looks oily on the surface or like it is about to split, stop adding oil and whisk like mad and it should come back – if not, whisk in some hot water or a few drops of lemon juice.
Keep whisking the mayonnaise until all the oil has been incorporated or until the mayonnaise has a thick and creamy consistency. Taste and season well with lemon juice and more salt and pepper. By the end of making and seasoning we’ve usually used about one and a half teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and about a half teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir through two teaspoons of White Condiment.
You should have about three-quarters of a cup of mayonnaise. Use immediately or transfer to a sterilised glass jar and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Some other points worth noting:
Using extra-virgin olive oil gives mayonnaise a strong flavour, which we’re not looking for here but love in aioli. Olive oil is also less stable and tends to separate out again after a couple of hours.
Making mayonnaise using a hand-held electric whisk makes the process quicker and easier but only use a food processor for large quantities.
Using room temperature egg yolks helps mayonnaise thicken. Mayonnaise can split if ingredients are too cold, oil is added too quickly or whisking isn’t vigorous enough.
Split mayonnaise can be saved. Place an egg yolk in a clean bowl and mix it until smooth, slowly add the split mayonnaise, whisking well after each spoonful.
