Sunday, April 6, 2014

MAGICAL MAYO - READY IN A FLASH

Friends, you heard it here first--I will NEVER buy commercial mayo again! 

After scanning a bunch of recipes for homemade mayo, I discovered I  had all the ingredients I needed on hand. I was out of excuses! Since I'm inherently lazy, I chose the simplest recipe I could find…and voila….within 15 minutes I had a jar of beautiful, creamy (and most importantly, chemical-free) mayo that I made with my own little hands. Amazing! I was so proud of myself (ok, no comments about my low expectations, please :)

Now, before we begin, I have to say it: RAW EGG ALERT! It seems there's no way around using a raw egg here--apparently it's necessary to achieve the magical emulsion that transforms the mixture into mayo--although I have seen vegan recipes that substitute ground flaxseed for egg. However, if you don't have "egg issues," and can get your paws the on the high quality, local, organic pastured kind….I say go for it! (I certainly don't recommend using conventional, factory-farmed eggs. No way would I eat them raw!)

I chose a recipe I found on thehealthyfoodie.com. Why? Easy, easy easy!

Here it is:

1 egg (large or extra large)
3 teaspoons lime juice (about 1/2 lime) or your choice vinegar (I used lime juice)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup oil (a more neutral-tasting oil is better; use light olive oil or walnut oil. I used the latter)
a medium sized jar
immersion blender 



This is all you need. 

Now here's cool part # 1 - to it, you can add any flavoring you like. Create your custom mayo! Some ideas: dijon mustard, chopped herbs, chile powder, garlic, cumin…the options are endless. Experiment and have fun!

Here's cool part # 2. IF YOU HAVE AN IMMERSION (STICK) BLENDER, YOU CAN MAKE IT RIGHT IN THE JAR!!! Perfect for lazy cooks like me!

1.  Crack the egg into the jar
2.  Add lime juice or vinegar, salt and mustard or herbs if using
3.  Pour in oil
4.  Let egg settle back to the bottom




Ok, here you go--20 seconds to mayo!  Place immersion blender in the jar, all the way to the bottom. Hold it here, and turn it on. Then, DO NOT MOVE IT FOR 20 SECONDS! Like magic, you should see the mixture start turing creamy and pale yellow--yay, mayo! When the mixture has completely emulsified into mayo, slowly raise the blender, stopping just under surface. Turn it off…and you're done!  


HOW COOL (AND EASY) WAS THAT???

If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor. I haven't tried to make mayo using this method--I think it can tricky to consistently get a fail-proof emulsion. But if you do try it, here's the methodology: 

Add all the ingredients to the bowl except for the oil. Turn on the machine, and DRIP the oil very slowly---one drop at a time into the feed tube. After you've dripped a few tablespoons in, start pouring the oil in a very thin, steady stream. Hopefully it will go without a hitch! If the emulsion breaks, your mayo will probably be slightly too runny. If that happens, chill it in the fridge and then stir. It might be too runny to use as a sandwich spread, but would still make a yummy base for salad dressing. 

Sigh…why not shell out a few bucks for the stick blender???

Lastly…since your mayo is preservative-free, probably best to use it within a week to 10 days, just to be safe. 

I can think of a million delicious uses for my homemade, additive-free mayo, but I'd love to hear YOUR ideas!

Happy eating!

Lisa



2 comments:

Maryann - Interior Salvage said...

I've always wanted to try this! There are plenty of people that crack their raw farm fresh eggs right into a smoothie and they're still kickin'. I love the idea of flavoring the mayo with dijon, etc.

Yum!

Chews Your Food! said...

Thanks for commenting! Yes, I love the idea of custom-flavored mayos. I was impressed by its "clean" taste, which would work well with really any
herb or spice. How about horseradish mayo? Yum!!