Emulsify This: Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise.

Condiment.  Sauce.  Spread.  Emulsion.  Aïoli.  Remoulade.  Wasabi Mayo.  Thousand Island Dressing (which I dislike, but that’s beside the point…). 

Another mayonnaise piece, really?  

Last I checked on Google, there was 5,590,000 results for the search term “mayonnaise.”  So why add another one?  I don’t even love mayonnaise, unless of course we’re talking about pommes frites with mayo, ketchup and a little bit of raw, diced onion (thank you, Belgium, I love you.)  No, the truth is that I think this goopy yellowish stuff people love to spread on their sandwiches is important.  That’s right, important. Mayonnaise has got so many derivative sauces, it might as well be considered a Mother Sauce, if you ask me.  And its relatively easy to make, once you understand some basic points in the technique.

INTERLUDE:  During college, I studied for a year in Scotland and lived in a house full of international students.  We had our own kitchen, which proved not only a great place to gather and socialize over wine, beer and dinner every night, but also a  laboratory of sorts for cooking experiments…*

“I think I’m going to make mayonnaise,” announced Brett excitedly, as he leafed through his little cookbook.  “Its so easy, there aren’t too many ingredients and all I need is a mixer.  There’s no cooking involved.”

“Go for it,” said Liz.  

30 minutes later…

“This is not working, I’m so mad, I just wasted all this oil!” exclaimed Brett in complete frustration as he turned off the electric handmixer and set it down.  From my seat at the kitchen table, I could see two distinct layers  in the glass bowl that sat on the counter before him:  one very thin layer of a yellowish liquid on the bottom and a thicker layer of oil on top.  His ingredients had failed to emulsify.  His sauce was as broken as his spirit…

So what exactly is an emulsion?  In the simplest of terms:  an emulsion is a stabilized dispersion of “opposing” liquids.  Think oil and water. Normally the two repel each other, but when the proper technique is applied, all the molecules of fat and liquid can be arranged in such a way that they mix and form an emulsion.  (I like to think of it as a net of water, with singular molecules of fat sitting in each hole of that net.) Appearance, texture, body and flavor are all affected through this process. Mayonnaise, cream, butter, vinaigrettes, Hollandaise, beurre blanc, and even frankfurters, are all examples of different types of emulsions.**  

Emulsified sauces can be delicate, tricky things to make.  Basically, a lot of fat is being dispersed into a fractional amount of liquid.  In the case of mayonnaise, the ratio of oil to liquid is one cup to about three tablespoons.  That’s a lot of fat to stabilize.  Which brings up the topic of emulsifiers:  

Without getting too scientific, emulsifiers, or emulsifying agents, help stabilize emulsions by strengthening the separation between fat and liquid molecules.  Lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and the lecithin in egg yolks are all emulsifying agents.  I should also mention that vegetables can act as stabilizers too, (though they aren’t considered emulsifiers) like shallots in a vinaigrette.  However, please note:  different emulsifiers work for different emulsions, depending on ingredients, temperature, chemical properties etc.  They are unfortunately, not a “secret ingredient.”  In my experience, I’ve found that technique and temperature are far more important.  Here are some important things to remember when making mayonnaise:

Temperature:  probably the biggest friend and foe in the emulsion process.  Too much heat or too much cold will make or break an emulsion.  A sauce is considered “broken” when fat and liquids begin to separate.  When making mayonnaise, the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Starting liquid:  The initial mixture of egg, water and vinegar should be well mixed.  Its all about the molecular structure, so this step helps the process by evenly distributing egg, water and vinegar molecules.

Rate at which fat is incorporated into liquid:  When I make mayonnaise or hollandaise, I literally whisk in the oil/clarified butter in drops at the very beginning, until I’m sure that the emulsion is working.  Believe me, you’ll know if its emulsifying, it should start to take on a creamy appearance and not look broken.  Once the emulsion starts, oil can be added in a steady, thin stream.

The amount of fat being incorporated:  For one large egg yolk, 3/4 to 1 cup of oil is typically the working ratio.  Whisking in too much fat will cause a sauce to break, as liquid can only hold so much in a stable dispersion.  Controlling the amount of fat by sticking to the ratio prevents coalescence.

One last thing about emulsions:  They can be rescued.  Had my friend in Scotland known this, he wouldn’t have had to throw out a sizeable batch of oil.  (I would’ve told him, but I hadn’t gone to culinary school yet!).  Just make a fresh egg mixture, and re-whisk in the broken sauce (slowly at first, as you would with a regular mayo).

I know, I’ve probably made this sound incredibly intimidating, even with my minimal scientific knowledge.  Buying a jar of Hellmans would be so much easier, not to mention that store-bought stuff has a longer shelf-life.  But it just doesn’t taste the same.  Mixing in mashed garlic with Hellmans mayo does not make an aïoli, in my opinion.  Mayonnaise is really not that hard to make, just try it.  Here is a basic recipe that I like to use, and some variations:

MAYONNAISE
yields about 2 cups

2 large egg yolks
2 tbl lemon juice (vinegar can be used, I just prefer lemon)
1 tbl water 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar (add more if you like it sweeter)
1 tsp mustard powder
2 c vegetable or olive oil in a measuring cup (can do a blend of oils)

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature (eggs can be cooler, I’ve done it, its ok.)  In a bowl, combine everything except for the oil.  Whisk well.  

Now take a wet towel, and make a ring with it, about the size of the diameter of the bottom of the mixing bowl.  Place the bowl on top of the towel ring. This secures the bowl from spinning around so that you can free up your other hand to pour in the oil.  Start whisking, and start pouring in a few drops of oil.  Mix vigorously and continuously (it doesn’t have to be whisked super-fast or hard, just be consistent).  Make sure the oil has not separated before adding more.

Continue adding oil slowly, eventually increasing the addition to a thin stream from the measuring cup.  Don’t wait until the end to see if the emulsion worked, if the mayonnaise is going to break, it will happen right away.  Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.  Store in fridge, up to a week.

TIP #1:  If your arm gets tired, you can stop whisking and take a break.  Just make sure whatever oil has been added already has been successfully incorporated before you stop.  Don’t give the sauce a chance to break.

TIP #2:  Its nice to have friends:  if someone else is around, ask them to pour while you whisk.  

TIP #3:  Yes, you can use a blender or food processor for this to prevent your forearms from looking like  Popeye’s.  Just use whole eggs instead of yolks. Add the oil slowly as you would with hand-mixing.  And don’t overprocess, as this can actually break the emulsion.  I really only recommend using a processor for amounts over 1C of oil, as the actual size of the processor may prevent the emulsion from being formed properly.

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LEMON ROSEMARY AÏOLI
yields about 1 cup

1 large egg yolk
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced fine, or ground
2 tbl rosemary, finely chopped
1 C olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine, yolk, lemon juice, zest, and garlic in a bowl.  Whisk in the olive oil slowly.  Add in rosemary and mix.  Taste for seasoning, adjust, and store in fridge up to a week.

Suggestions for use:  I love this with fingerling potatoes which have been sliced in half lengthwise, roasted off, tossed with some fresh herbs and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt.  Could be nice with some grilled chicken on a baguette too.

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ROMESCO MAYONNAISE
yields about 3 cups

Romesco is a classic Spanish sauce based on roasted red peppers, garlic and almonds.  This version is combined with mayonnaise, which gives it a very creamy texture. This should be made in a food processor.  Yolks instead of whole eggs can be used for this particular recipe.

2 ea, large egg yolks
2 ea, garlic cloves
2 tbl sherry vinegar
1 C olive oil
2 ea, roasted red peppers, peeled and seeded (homemade, not canned)
1 ea, plum tomato, roughly chopped
3 ea, piquillo peppers (found in jars or cans in specialty supermarkets)
1/2 C toasted almonds
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

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