Preparing your own mayonnaise when ready-made iterations abound may seem fussy, but homemade mayo is so worth the effort. And once you learn how to make mayonnaise from scratch, you’ll never look at store-bought mayo the same way again.
A cold egg won’t properly emulsify into the other ingredients, so start by separating the yolk from one whole egg and let it come to room temperature. (Save the leftover egg white for another purpose.) Adding a little Dijon to the mix gives the mayo a sharp backbone, cutting its richness. We also like white pepper for heat, but you can leave it out or sub in black pepper if you don’t mind the specks.
The success of any homemade mayonnaise recipe rides on the emulsion of egg and oil, and it’s best not to rush it. Neutral-flavored oil is traditional (any combination of canola oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, or sunflower oil works), but it’s your mayo recipe and your rules. You can substitute extra-virgin olive oil for some or all of the vegetable oil in your mayonnaise recipe, though it may impart a bitter flavor. Whatever you choose, whisk it in gradually. Once the sauce begins to thicken, add lemon juice and vinegar, then whisk in the remaining oil in a steady stream. The best results come from old-fashioned elbow grease, but if you find you have trouble whisking for that long, place the ingredients in a tall jar and use your immersion blender to whip them together.
Homemade mayonnaise is an excellent sandwich condiment, of course, and perfect for egg salad, chicken salad, or potato salad. You can also shake it into salad dressing, add some mashed garlic à la aioli, or spike it with chipotle or shoyu and use it as a dairy-free dip for crudités.
*Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems...or people who don’t like raw eggs.
Recipe information
Total Time
10 minutes
Yield
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
Preparation
Whisk 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 30 minutes, ½ tsp. Dijon mustard, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt in a small bowl until combined well. Add about ¼ cup olive or vegetable oil (or a combination) drop by drop, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in 1 tsp. white-wine vinegar or cider vinegar and 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice, then add remaining ½ cup oil in a very slow, thin stream, whisking constantly until well blended. If at any time it appears that oil is not being incorporated, stop adding oil and whisk mixture vigorously until smooth, then continue adding oil. Whisk in salt to taste and ¼ tsp. white pepper (if using). Chill, surface covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.
Do Ahead: Mayonnaise keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in the January 2008 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for our best tomato recipes (which you’re gonna want some mayo for) →
Recipe notes
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