Our Favorite Mayonnaise (Immersion Blender Method)
Anyone who has ever tried J. Kenji López-Alt’s ingenious method for making mayonnaise (as outlined in his monumental book of applied food science The Food Lab and on Serious Eats) knows how brilliant and beautiful it is. In fact, it’s so easy and delicious, it’s life-changing for mayo-lovers. The idea is to let the vortex created by a hand-blender do all the work for you. Pour canola oil over a layer of egg yolk combined with lemon juice, mustard and water, submerge the immersion blender, turn it on, slowly pull it up through the ingredients and voilà: mayonnaise in an easy instant.
But there’s a little more you have to do if you want it to be not just mayo, but delicious mayo. For that, you need olive oil for flavor. Unfortunately, olive oil has a different molecular structure than canola oil does, and the vortex trick doesn’t reliably work with it. (Occasionally it does; often it “breaks” — that awful thing that happens when your beautifully thick mayo falls apart into what looks like a vinaigrette.) That’s why, after the super-easy hand-blender trick, López-Alt has you whisk in a lot of olive oil by hand. It’s not the end of the world, but it does take some muscle to whisk in a full cup.
While we do like the 50-50 olive oil-to-flavorless-oil ratio López-Alt uses, we prefer a mayonnaise with a higher ratio of egg yolk to oil. Our recipe requires 25 percent less hand-whisking, and has a richer egg yolk flavor. It also has a slightly more generous hand with the Dijon mustard, and uses red wine vinegar, for a bit more depth than lemon juice offers. (If you prefer white wine vinegar, Champagne vinegar or lemon juice, those work fine, too!)
Be sure to use an olive oil you love the taste of, the fresher the better. Note: You’ll need an immersion blender (hand-blender) with the blending cup that came with it to use this method.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise.
Ingredients
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar or lemon juice)
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup best-quality olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Use the tall, narrow mixing cup that came with your immersion blender (or a tall, narrow cup or jar the same diameter) to blend the mayonnaise. Place the egg yolks, Dijon mustard and vinegar in the jar with 1 1/2 teaspoons water, and stir with a spoon to combine well.
2. Carefully pour the canola oil on top of the egg yolk mixture, so it rests on top without disturbing the egg yolk mixture. With the power off, carefully submerge the mixing element of the immersion blender straight down into the jar, so it’s flush against the bottom. Now turn on the power, and slowly pull up up the blender; the ingredients will emulsify as you pull up. Remove and power off the blender, and scrape mayo on the blade into the jar.
3. Use a flexible spatula to transfer the mayo into a small or medium mixing bowl. If there are any droplets of oil visible, give the mayo a good whisk. Slowly dribble in the olive oil, whisking constantly while you do so, until all the olive oil is incorporated. (NOTE: Ask someone to hold the bowl while you whisk, or place a kitchen towel or two inside a large, heavy pot, and place the mixing bowl in the towel-lined bowl. That’ll hold it steady and make it easier for you to whisk.) Whisk in the salt. Will keep for two weeks refrigerated in a closed container.
Our Favorite Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar or lemon juice)
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup best-quality olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Using the tall, narrow mixing cup that came with your immersion blender (or a tall, narrow cup or jar the same diameter) to blend the mayonnaise. Place the egg yolks, Dijon mustard and vinegar in the jar with 1 1/2 teaspoons water, and stir with a spoon to combine well.
- Carefully pour the canola oil on top of the egg yolk mixture, so it rests on top without disturbing the egg yolk mixture. With the power off, carefully submerge the mixing element of the immersion blender straight down into the jar, so it’s flush against the bottom. Now turn on the power, and slowly pull up up the blender; the ingredients will emulsify as you pull up. Remove and power off the blender, and scrape mayo on the blade into the jar.
- Use a flexible spatula to transfer the mayo into a small or medium mixing bowl. If there are any droplets of oil visible, give the mayo a good whisk. Slowly dribble in the olive oil, whisking constantly while you do so, until all the olive oil is incorporated. (NOTE: Ask someone to hold the bowl while you whisk, or place a kitchen towel or two inside a large, heavy pot, and place the mixing bowl in the towel-lined bowl. That’ll hold it steady and make it easier for you to whisk.) Whisk in the salt. Will keep for two weeks refrigerated in a closed container.
