Homemade mayonnaise
I reckon every home cook should know how to prepare these two incredibly popular condiments – there’s nothing to it. You end up with a pure product and you know exactly what’s gone in.
In simple terms, a mayonnaise is an emulsion (a mixture of two liquids that normally don’t mix – in this case, oil and water). When mixed at high speeds, the lecithin in the egg yolk acts to emulsify the water in the yolk with the lovely oil we add, meaning we end up with a thick, creamy, delicious treat that everyone goes nuts over.
Food processor or hand whisked?
Either of these options work – using a food processor is quicker and easier, but if you don’t have one, just use a clean bowl that you’ve warmed up slightly with hot water then dried out. It’s easier to thicken it up in a warm bowl. Just use a whisk and lots of elbow grease and add oil in teaspoons (or have someone pour it for you).
Ingredients
1 free-range egg
1 free-range egg yolk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cups oil *See my note at the bottom
1 tbsp lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
Salt and white pepper
Method
Process the egg, egg yolk, and Dijon mustard for about 10 seconds until well combined.
Have the oil ready in a measuring cup or jug that’s easy to pour from, or else it will be too hard to get a thin stream of oil and it will go everywhere (trust me, I know this from experience).
With the processor running, very slowly add the oil to the eggs in the thinnest stream you can manage. If you add it too quickly at this point, the mixture won’t emulsify. Keep the thin stream going until half the oil is used up – the mixture should start thickening up.
Once you’ve gone past the half way mark you can start to add the oil a little more quickly, about double the speed, until it’s all in. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and process again to combine everything nicely.
You should now how a nice thick mayonnaise but if you taste it, it will be bland as you haven’t added the lemon or salt. Add the 2 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar, and a good pinch of salt and pepper, process again then taste it. You’ll probably need to keep adding more salt, pepper and lemon/vinegar until it tastes right to you. You’ll probably need more salt than you think.
Once you’re happy with it, transfer to an airtight container and you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (or you can check the expiration date on the egg box and it should be fine until then).
Homemade aioli
‘Aioli’ as we know it in New Zealand is really just mayo with garlic added. To make it, all you need to do is use the mayonnaise recipe above but add a clove of crushed NZ garlic at the stage you whizz the eggs up. You can also use roasted or confit garlic for a richer, less pungent flavour.
*Which oil to use?
It all depends on the flavour you’re after really. Generally, a mild neutral oil is what you need.
- Grape seed oil: A little more expensive, but due to its clean, light taste and polyunsaturated fat content, it’s perfect. You could substitute 1/4 cup for olive oil for flavour.
- Rice bran oil: A neutral oil which works well by itself, or used half/half with light olive oil.
- Light and extra light olive oil: Quite a strong flavour – I’d probably mix half/half with a neutral oil. It’s better in aioli than mayo as the garlic is aioli helps counter the strong olive flavour.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The flavour is far too strong and will overpower everything else.
- Pure olive oil: Only use it if you really like the flavour of olive oil – it will be too strong for most. I’d recommend mixing it half/half with a neutral oil such as grape seed.
- Canola, safflower, corn, sunflower, soybean oils: These are highly refined oils that can go rancid quickly.
Hi Chelsea,
Is Sue correct? I have a stick blender, that also has a whisk attachment, if I use the stick blender as she describes will it still work? I don’t have a food processor.
Thanks ????????????????????
Hey Chelsea
Could I make this with a stick blender? Or with my nutribullet,
Thank you
Hey, Ive just gotten homemade happiness and found this recipe in the book, but it says 1 1/4 cups oil instead of the 2 cups you have listed here? I made this yesterday and definitely only used the 1 1/4 cups oils!
Hi Chelsea is there a particular brand of light olive oil you recommend for the recipe? I’ve made this once before but my oil was too strong. I’m making it for a friend who is paleo so want to stick to olive oil just not sure which to get that will be subtle enough. Many thanks
Messed up the mayo, added too much oil. So you could taste it. (Olive) Blend it with chickpea flour. Makes awsome batter for fish fillets.
Hi Chelsea, I just made the mayonnaise, turned out thick and creamy but still has that oil taste even though I used grape seed oil, I didn’t have dijon so used grain mustard with extra lemon juice, salt & pepper, can you suggest anything? thanks
Will give it ago but I think people should be careful with olive oil, it can turn bitter if whisked to fast to much, sadly know from experience :( I wonder what would happen if you used butter first? Like a hollandaise then bulked it out with oil…
Can i use coconut oil for the mayo?
Sorry no that won’t work.
Hi Chelsea,
How long will the aoili keep in the fridge?
Thanks in advance
A couple of weeks :)
Absolutely delicious! Had with freshly caught fish and salad in a wrap…mmmm
Throw it all in the measuring/mixing container that comes with a stick blender, put the stick blender in right to the bottom, turn on and gradually raise it up through the liquid towards the top and voila – perfect, delicious Mayo in a few seconds!
Sue, thanks for the tip. I was a little unsure that it would work but it worked perfectly well. A great time saver with perfect thick mayo as the result.
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I just made my first batch of Aioli and I used Prenzel Lemon Infused Rice Bran Oil. I am so excited as it is really easy and we shouldn’t be buying store brought Mayonaise or Aioli if it’s this easy. Thank you Chelsea.
Hi i have only got colmans mustard in my pantrey will that work instead of Dijon? Love your recipes :)
Your aioli is to DIE for!!! Super easy and the kids love it. It goes on everything!! Teenage daughter sticks in all over her veges and potatoes, it is super yummy with your crunchy spuds! YUM YUM YUM! Hands up for cookbook number 2 please :) ;)
My husband is weirdly allergic to mustard. Any ideas for something I could use to substitute?
You could try some white pepper – but it will still be delicious without it!
Do you have any recipes that fail? I have tried around 8 off this website and they are all amazing! I have tried aioli recipes from Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and other famous chefs and they are terrible. This is exactly like burger fuel aioli which has always been my favourite. Cant wait for more copies of your book to become available.
Haha well I’m pretty stoked to hear that! I test my recipes pretty carefully before I make them pubic – so they fail for me sometimes, then I fix it!!
thanks for the laugh to your reply 19/2/2014. Somehow I think you meant you test the recipes carefully before making them PUBLIC :)
Well that’s just awkward….I think I’ll leave the typo there for fun!
And if you want to make it Paleo stick to the extra light olive oil and you can also add chopped herbs for something different…..love your site!! :)
Damn! Wish I’d done my research and checked in here before I wasted all that ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil’ on my Aioli – it was such a strong flavor there was no saving it :( Ah well, will go for Rice bran next time I think :)
Yum! I just made my first ever home made mayo! I used half a cup of my prenzels garlic oil and the rest rice bran oil, instant aioli and super delish! Thanks for the recipe :)
I’d sooo love to make these but hubby is allergic to raw egg (yolk). So, i guess i’m stuck with the supermarket mayo :(
Chelsea, can you tell me which oil you use for frying/high heat cooking? Have been using Rice Bran for ages and have been reading that it is not so good for you…like a lot of things these days! Got some grapeseed today but it would appear it is just as bad! I use Olive oil for non-high heat cooking etc, but what is the best for high heat frying….I don’t do a lot of it but would be interested in your thoughts….
Hi Diana, try extra light olive oil – it is supposed to have the highest smoke point of them all!
Thanks, Chelsea, I will :) And I think your recipes, website and facebook page are all superb!
Thank you for these wonderful simply ideas such as mayonnaise. It is often the simple things that make a difference to a nice meal.
Yum! Looks delicious :) thanks for the recipe!