I’m frequently astonished by my friend’s amazement when they find out that I make my own mayonnaise. Well, allow me to retort. First of all, I’m cheap so it doesn’t cost me more than a dollar and a half to make enough for a week or two. Secondly, it only takes 5 minutes for rich flavorful mayonnaise which is good a la carte or as a base for another sauce.
For me, it’s my guilty indulgence whether mixed with some tuna fish, fresh cilantro and olives for one of Amy’s crazy tuna fish salad concoctions (strange combo but really delicious) or I’m dunking my fries in it, I don’t want it to be a tasteless gelatinous substance. Of course, I generally don’t want to overpower the dish as it’s a condiment at its core. My personal trainer always says if it’s not an 8, 9 or 10 on the flavor scale, don’t indulge. Justifiably, I want my mayonnaise to absolutely rock if I’m eating up a couple hundred calories for a tablespoon or two.
I don’t have one recipe that I use for mayonnaise. Sometimes, I make the basic CHOW recipe and add jalapeños to accompany GQ’s best broccoli dish ever http://www.gq.com/food-travel/recipes/201303/best-broccoli-dish-ever (check that one out!). Other times, I may want Alton Brown’s slightly sweeter mayonnaise recipe’s flavor profile or maybe even find a more lemony recipe. You can even branch out from the standard canola oil or vegetable oil and make paleo mayonnaise with coconut oil (that may be a little more pricy) or experiment with other oils. I’ve found the time and money investment for nearly recipe is 5 minutes of time and less than a buck and a half in ingredients to have amazing mayonnaise. Generally, it’s even stuff you have around the house so save yourself a trip to the store.
Dissecting the CHOW recipe – http://www.chow.com/recipes/11053-basic-mayonnaise, – which is the recipe I use most often this is the cost breakdown paired with the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large egg – $0.16 based on a dozen for $1.89
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard – $0.13 based on 68 teaspoons in a $2.99 container
- 1 1/3 cups vegetable or canola oil – $0.61 based on 160 ounces for $9.29
- 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice – $0.30 based on average cost of 1 lemon of or portion of a 12.75 ounce container of white vinegar at $1.98
- Salt and pepper to taste – maybe $0.03 worth
Total cost $1.23 versus 4 dollars or more for a jar of canola oil mayonnaise.
- Combine egg and mustard in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until mixture is evenly combined.
- With the processor running, slowly add oil in a thin stream until completely combined. Add vinegar or lemon juice and pulse until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
This is what it will looks like if you use a food processor –> 
Of course you can make it by hand but why bother if you have a blender or food processor?
Variation (hand-whisked method):
- Combine egg yolk only and mustard in a bowl and whisk until well mixed.
- Whisking constantly, add oil in a thin stream until completely incorporated and mayo is thick (when the whisk is lifted, the mayo should hang off but not fall). Whisk in vinegar or lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
For me, making your mayonnaise is a no brainer and really easy so try it out! You’ll be hooked!
Amy's Apron 