Home Made Mayonnaise

This is too useful a sauce not have on hand at all times - and home-made mayo is so much better than bought variety. What would a coleslaw or potato salad be without mayo? The thing that I love about mayo is that you can dress it up or down. You can add herbs, roasted garlic, and spices. Let me warn you it is rather tricky making homemade mayo but once you have mastered it - well it is worth every trial and error.

I little secret in making your own mayo is to use half vegetable oil and half olive oil. Start off by adding the veggie oil drop by drop and when the mixture is looking like it is coming together then you can start using the olive oil. If your mayo turns out to be a flop then atleast you haven't wasted the expensive stuff. Once you have officially become the master of mayo making you can use 100% olive oil or even better extra virgin oil. Using extra virgin olive oil will give your mayo  more depth. If you keep it refrigerated it will keep well for weeks.

HOME-MADE TRADITIONAL MAYONNAISE:

Ingredients:

3 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

5 ml dry English Mustard Powder
2ml white pepper
30ml white vinegar
30ml lemon juice
750ml Olive Oil (use half Canola/Sunflower Oil)

In a food processor, blender or electric mixer, whisk the whole eggs, yolks, mustard and pepper until pale and thick. With the machine running, add the vinegar and lemon juice little by little, then pour in oil in a thin stream.

TIPS:
Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature. If you add the oil too quickly or add to much oil you mayo will seperate. If your mayo should seperate you can add a little hot water it will bring it back together again. Best thing is just to start over again and once the mayo starts to thicken add the seperated mayo. This way you don't waste.

HERB MAYO:

250ml Home-Made Mayo
125ml Finely Chopped Herbs
Mix together.
You can use a variety of herbs such as: parsley, thyme, dill, coriander, chives, tarragon, marjoram or basil.

TAPENADE MAYONNAISE:

200g Calamata Olives stoned and pureed
6-8 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
30ml Capers
2 Spring onions, finely chopped
80ml Olive Oil
Mix the above ingredients and to 250ml of Home-Made Mayo.

PESTO MAYO:
This mayo is perfect with fish or chicken.
50g Salted Peanuts
1-2 cloves of garlic
125ml tightly packed basil leaves
250ml Home-Made Mayo


Whiz peanuts, garlic and basil in a food processor until it forms a fine paste. Whiz in mayounnaise, scoop into a bowl and chill until serving time. It can keep chilled for 5 days.