Mayonnaise
July 29th, 2006A couple of days ago, I made mayonnaise.
That’s not a euphemism—I literally made mayonnaise. I was bored and I thought, “what can I do today” and “make mayonnaise” was the first thing that sprung to mind. This is what happens when you don’t have a full-time job.
It’s a strange thing to make—mayonnaise. Firstly, because no one does it—you can buy it in a jar for cheap and it’s perfectly delicious. And secondly because of the strange alchemy at work in mayonnaise production—turning a series of wet ingredients into a solid. You think, “holy crap, it’s mayonnaise” when you see it start to form. Basically, it involves whipping a thin stream of oil into a little egg and egg yolk. There is also salt, lemon juice and mustard. It’s easy if you own a food processor. I own a food processor.
Here is what my mayonnaise looked like:
How did it taste?
Like Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. Maybe a bit fresher-tasting. A bit creamier, I suppose. Maybe I could have thrown in a touch of sugar to give it that extra something. But, ultimately, it was very tasty. And remember—as the Buddhists will tell you—it’s the journey that’s important, not the destination. I had fun making my mayonnaise—living in the “now” and making my mayonnaise.
And then I made a very delicious potato salad from the mayo.
It looked like this:
Actually, it still looks like this because it’s sitting in my fridge right now. I used the recipe from The Joy of Cooking and added halved cherry tomatoes. I also added fresh dill because, for some reason the Joy of Cooking recipe didn’t included fresh dill which makes me think that the Joy of Cooking editors are psychopaths.
July 29th, 2006 at 11:31 pm
mayonaisse is gross, but I’m impressed.
July 30th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
This is amazing!
I am hungry right now and wish I could have some.
July 31st, 2006 at 10:20 am
I really love potato salad.
Kudos, Mitch Magee!
August 4th, 2006 at 9:21 am
I had just made some mayonnaise myself a couple of weeks ago (I used a food processor too). The spark was my desire for a top-end BLT. I bought beautiful slab bacon, heirloom tomatoes, fresh bread, the finest lettuce from the north of Spain, and, of course, whipped up my own mayo. The mayo turned out great. The BLTs turned out great. Next round I decided to veer from the classic and make Italian style BLTs: pancetta, arugala, San Marzano tomatoes, and maybe some home-made basil mayo. I am not sure how long home-made mayonnaise lasts. A week after I made it, I used it on a turkey burger. I can admit now that I was a little scared. It was fine - though I do feel like I might have been pushing it. I guess I could put together some tangy turned-mayo sandwiches. Your Buddhist potato salad looks delicious.
August 29th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
I want your potato salad.
My mother was giving me a crash-course on mayonnaise making recently, and she recounted a story somewhat similar to yours. She and a childhood friend were on a vacation in their teens when they awoke one morning uncertain as to how to spend their day. So, they decided to investigate the upper limit of oil that can be mixed in with a single egg. They gave up: they never hit the limit. Since this was neither a scientific nor a particularly well-funded venture, they stopped before using gallons of oil: certainly, there is some upper limit. What they learned, though, was that the limit was high enough that one needn’t worry too much about using too much oil and ruining one’s mayonnaise.
I am always intrigued by food items that have been–through mass production, advertising, or some other force–been rendered elemental in my mind. Salt and pepper are, of course, not truly elemental, but for food purposes, it’s fair to say that they are. Mayonnaise is not. It is just a particular prepared sauce, like bearnaise, hollandaise, etc. I love the point where I learn how to take apart what I previously thought was an atom and mess with its innards. Pesto is another example.
Somewhat different is the particular recipe that becomes–again in my mind–distinct from a category of which it is actually a part. Chili is the best example I can think of. Chili is a stew. But I was startled when I read the phrase “a classic stew” used to describe chili in one of the Moosewood cookbooks. In my mind, this was a major breakthrough.
August 31st, 2006 at 1:15 am
I personally do not care for mayo. But I do have a similar experience every time I make my own pesto. Food processors are great. As are pesto, tomato and fresh mozzarella on a really crusty baguette sandwiches, which are what I use the pesto for.
January 29th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Well done! It looks delicious. As does your potato salad. Pop by to dish about condiments anytime.